jSiiS^^Sraj^^^iji'iiflB"" 


I  "  1 

lil 

pi] 

9 

^^ 

^p 

I 

W 


^ 


'%. 


'k 


PRINCETON,    N.    J. 


Shelf. 


Division . . .  AW.?-P  .1.  J. . 
Section  ..^\sl^.(f?.. 
A'limbe^' I  QO.Q 


/ 


AN 


ANALYSIS  AND  SUMMARY 


OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY 


LAWS    OF    MOSES. 

WITH  A 

CONNECTION  BETWEEN  THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENTS. 

BY 

J.   T>  WHEELER,  F.R.G.S., 


'AN  ANALYSIS  AND  SUMMARY  OF  HERODOTUS,"  "AN  ANALYSIS  AND 
SUMMARY  OP  THUCYDIDES,"   ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA 
AV.     R.     WORK    &    CO. 

1880. 


COPYRIGHT,  1879,  BY   WILLIAM  R.  WORK. 


Westcott  &  Thomson, 

Stereotypers  and  Electrotypers,  Philada. 


CONTENTS. 


As  complete  Analytical  Contents  and  tables  will  be  found  at  the  be- 
ginning of  each  book,  and  a  Comprehensive  Index  at  the  end  of  the 
volume,  it  is  presumed  that  the  present  condensed  contents  will  be 
found  sufficient  for  reference. 


PAGE 

Preface 7 

Introductory  Outline  of  the  History  and  Geography  of  the 

Countries  noticed  in  the  Old  Testament 11 

Outline  op  the  Critical  History  of  the  Old  Testajient 28 

Jewish   Months 31 

Chp.onological   Table 33 


THE  PENTATEUCH,  or  Five  Books  of  Moses 35 

Genesis:  Patriarchal  history  from  the  birth  of  Adam  till  the 
death  of  Joseph.  B.  C.  4004  to  1635:  about  two  thousand 
three  hundred  and  sixty-nine  years 35 

I.  History  of  the  world  prior  to  Abraham 36 

II.  Lives  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Joseph 44 

Exodus  :  History  of  the  Jews  as  a  nomad  family  from  the  death 
of  Joseph  until  the  building  of  the  tabernacle  and  consecra- 
tion of  the  priesthood.  B.  C.  1635  to  1490 :  about  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  years 68 

I.  History  of  the  Exode  from  Egypt,  the  journey  to  Si- 
nai, and  the  delivery  of  the  Law 69 

II.  The  Moral  and  Civil  Law 80 

Jewish  Constitution 86 

III.  The  Ceremonial  Law — viz.  1.  The  Tabernacle 89 

Leviticus  :  History  of  the  Levitical  priesthood,  sacrifices,  etc. 
B.  C.  1490 :  about  one  month — viz.  from  the  building  of  the 
tabernacle  to  the  numbering  of  the  people 98 


4  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

The  Ceremonial  Law  continued  from  Exodus — viz.  : 

2.  Priests,  Levites,  and  Nethinim 96 

3.  Sacrifices,  oblations,  and  meat-  and  drink-offerings 100 

4.  Annual  feasts  and  festivals;  sabbatical  year  and  jubilee.  107 

5.  Vows 113 

6.  Purifications 116 

Numbers  :  History  of  the  Israelites  from  the  delivering  of  the 
Law  at  Sinai  to  the  conquest  of  the  country  east  of  the  Jor- 
dan. B.  C.  1490  to  1451 :  about  thirty-eight  years  and  nine 
or  ten  months 120 

I.  Wanderings  in  the  wilderness 120 

II.  Conquest  of  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan 124 

Deuteronomy  :  Repetition  and  confirmation  of  the  Law.  B.  C. 
1451 :  about  two  months 130 

The  last  acts  of  Moses 130 

Canaan  prior  to  its  conquest  by  the  Israelites 133 

THE  TWELVE  HISTORICAL  BOOKS 136 

Joshua  :  History  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan  and  settlement  in 
the  country  under  Joshua.  B.  C.  1451  to  1426 :  about  twen- 
ty-five years , 136 

I.  Conquest  of  Canaan 136 

II.  Settlement  in  Canaan 141 

Judges  :  History  of  the  Jews  as  a  federative  republic.  B.  C. 
1425  to  1095:  about  three  hundred  and  thirty  years 145 

I.  Period  prior  to  the  Judges 145 

II.  The  seven  servitudes  or  tyrannies,  and  the  fifteen  judge- 

siiips 149 

(This  period  includes  the  first  ten  chapters  in  1  Samuel.) 

Ruth  :  An  episode  in  the  history  of  the  Judges.  About  B.  C. 
1320 162 

1  AND  2  Samuel  and  1  and  2  Kings:  History  of  the  Jews  under 
a  monarchy.  B.  C.  1095  to  588  :  about  five  hundred  and  eight 
years 163 

I.  History  of  the  single  monarchy 169 

Saul 169 

David 178 

Solomon 191 

Prefatory  review  of  the  history  of  the  divided  mon- 
archies   199 

II.  History  of  the  divided  monarchies  of  Judah  and  Israel.  201 
First  Period :  from  the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  until 
Jehu  destroyed  the  dynasty  of   Ahab  in  Israel, 
and  slew  Ahaziah  in  Judah 201 


CONTENTS.  5 

PAGE 

Second  Period:  from  the  simultaneous  accession  of 
Jehu  in  Israel  and  usurpation  of  Athaliah  in  Judah 
until  Israel  was  carried  away  captive  by  the  Assyr- 
ian power 215 

Third  Period:  from  the  Assyrian  captivity  of  Israel 

until  the  Babylonian  captivity  of  Judah 225 

History  of  Assyria 238 

1  AND  2  Chronicles.  B.  C.  4004  to  536  :  about  three  thousand 
four  hundred  and  sixty-eight  years 238 

History  of  the  Chaldee-Babylonian  empire  during  the  seventy 
years'  captivity,  forming  a  connection  between  the  2  Kings 
and  2  Chronicles  and  the  book  of  Ezra.     B.  C.  606  to  536 241 

Ezra  :  History  of  the  edict  of  Cyrus  and  first  return  from  cap- 
tivity under  Zerubbabel,  and  the  governorship  of  Ezra.  B.  C. 
536  to  445  :  about  ninety  years 244 

Nehemiah  :  History  of  the  government  of  Nehemiah.  B.  C. 
445  to  420:  about  twenty-five  years 253 

Esther:  An  episode.    About  B.  C.  461  to  451 255 

Chronology  of  the  kings  of  Media  and  Persia,  with  their  names 
as  given  in  Scripture  and  in  profane  history 257 


THE  FIVE  POETICAL  BOOKS: 258 

Job 258 

Psalms 262 

Proverbs 263 

ecclesiastes 264 

Solomon's  Song 265 


THE    SIXTEEN   PROPHETICAL  BOOKS 26^> 

The  Four  Greater  Prophets 267 

i.  Isaiah 267 

2.  Jeremiah  (Prophecies  and  Lamentations) 271 

3.  Ezekiel 272 

4.  Daniel 272 

The  Twelve  Minor  Prophets — viz.  1.  Hosea;  2.  Joel;  3.  Amos; 
4.  Obadiah;  5.  Jonah  ;  6.  Micah  ;  7.  Nahum  ;  8.  Habakkuk ; 
9.  Zephaniah;  10.  Haggai;  11.  Zechariah ;  12.  Malachi 278 

PRINCIPAL    PROPHECIES,    INTIMATIONS,   AND    TYPES 
OF  THE  MESSIAH  IN  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 283 


CONNECTION  BETWEEN  THE  OLD  AND  NEW  TESTA- 
MENTS, including  the  history  of  the  Jews  from  the  admin- 
istration of  Nehemiah  to  the'birth  of  Jesus  Christ 288 

1* 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

I.  Jewish  history  from  Nehemiah  to  the  revolt  under 

the  Maccabees 290 

11.  History  of  the  Maccabees,  or  Asamonean  princes 299 

III.  History  of  the  Jews  under  the  Herodians  to  the  com- 
mencement of  the  New  Testament  history 32i 

Jewish  sects 330 


THE  FOURTEEN  APOCRYPHAL  BOOKS: 

1  Esdras;  2  Esdras ;  Tobit;  Judith;  Rest  of  the  chapters  of 
the  Book  of  Esther;  Wih^dom  of  Solomon;  Ecclesiasticus, 
or  Wisdom  of  Jesus  the  Son  of  Sirach ;  Book  of  Baruch ; 
Song  of  the  Three  Children;  History  of  Susanna;  Bel  and 
the  Dragon  ;  Prayer  of  Manasses;  1  and  2  Maccabees 332 

EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS,  including  the  Cambridge  Exam- 
ination Papers  for  various  years,  in  chronological  order 335 

INDEX  OF  NAMES,  PLACES,   ETC 351 


PRIITCETOI 
HtC.  DEC  18faO 

THSOLOGIG 

PREFACE 


The  success  which  attended  the  publication  of  an 
Analysis  and  Summary  of  Herodotus  has  induced  the 
author  to  compile  an  Analysis  and  Summary  of  Old  Tes- 
tament History  on  a  similar  plan.  Accordingly,  the  pres- 
ent work  contains  an  Analytical  Summary  of  all  the  most 
important  events  recorded  in  the  Old  Testament  Scrip- 
tures, arranged  in  chronological  order,  but  retaining  the 
canonical  division  into  books.  Each  book  of  this  Sum- 
mary is  separated  into  divisions,  excepting  where  one 
book  contains  merely  a  repetition  of  the  history  of  a  pre- 
ceding one ;  and  each  of  these  divisions  is  again  subdi- 
vided into  paragraphs,  all  of  which  have  the  Contents 
appended  in  a  peculiar  type.  These  Contents  are  also 
thrown  together  and  reprinted  at  the  beginning  of  each 
book ;  fiill  references  are  also  given  at  the  end  of  each 
paragraph  to  the  chapters  or  verses  in  the  Bible  in  which 
the  original  facts  are  recorded. 

By  means  of  these  Analytical  Contents  the  biblical 
student  can  at  once  see  the  exact  scope  and  subject-mat- 
ter of  each  book,  and  by  reading  the  Summary  he  will 
easily  call  back  a  multitude  of  facts  and  events  the  rela- 
tion of  which  frequently  spreads  through  several  chapters 
in  the  original ;  whilst  the  references  will  at  once  enable 
him  to  obtain  from  his  Bible  a  more  extended  account 

7 


8  PREFACE. 

of  any  particular  period  of  the  history  which  he  may 
require. 

In  carrying  out  this  general  design  every  opportunity 
has  been  seized  for  explaining  or  illustrating  any  obscure 
part  of  JcAvish  history,  and  particularly  those  portions 
which  are  more  frequently  the  subjects  of  college  exam- 
inations. The  authorized  chronology  of  our  marginal- 
reference  Bibles,  which  is  based  upon  that  of  Archbishop 
Usher,  is  added  to  every  page ;  the  history  of  the  divided 
monarchies  of  Judah  and  Israel  is  printed  in  parallel 
columns ;  the  scriptural  and  profane  names  of  the  kings 
of  Media  and  Persia  are  given  at  page  257 ;  a  chrono- 
logical table  of  the  prophets,  at  page  266 ;  a  table  of  the 
principal  prophecies,  intimations,  and  types  of  the  Mes- 
siah, at  page  283;  examination-questions,  including  the 
Cambridge  examination-papers  in  Old  Testament  history 
for  various  years,  in  chronological  order,  at  page  335 ; 
and  a  complete  index  of  names,  places,  etc.,  at  the  end 
of  the  volume.  To  these  are  added  an  introductory  out- 
line of  the  geography,  political  history,  etc.,  of  every 
country  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  an  outline 
of  the  critical  history  of  the  Scriptures;  together  with 
chronological  tables.  Moreover,  in  order  to  complete  the 
book  as  an  analysis  of  Jewish  history,  tw^o  connecting 
chapters  have  been  inserted :  I.  A  history  of  the  Chal- 
dee-Babylonian  empire  during  the  seventy  years'  cap- 
tivity, which  forms  a  connection  between. 2  Kings  and 
2  Chronicles  and  the  book  of  Ezra ;  II.  Jewish  history 
from  the  governorship  of  Nehemiah  to  the  taking  of  Je- 
rusalem by  Titus,  which  forms  a  connection  between  the 
Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  A  comprehensive  analysis 
of  the  Mosaic  laws  and  ordinances  has  also  been  included. 
The  moral  and  civil  law  is  classified  under  each  com- 
mandment, both  for  the  convenience  of  reference,  and 
because  by  such  arrangement  they  are  made  to  form  a 


PREFACE.  9 

very  useful  and  practical  commentary  upon  the  Deca- 
logue. This  classification  is  based  upon  a  harmony  of 
the  Mosaic  law,  taken  from  a  manuscript  presented  to  St. 
John's  College  by  Archbishop  Laud,  and  reprinted  in 
Hornets  Introduction,  and  other  similar  works.  The  cer- 
emonial law  has  been  chiefly  arranged  according  to  the 
classification  of  Michaelis. 

In  conclusion,  the  author  must  acknowledge  his  many 
obligations  to  the  following  works :  to  the  valuable  Intro- 
duction to  the  Study  of  the  Holy  ScrijDtures,  by  the  Rev. 
T.  H.  Home ;  The  Historical  Researches  and  Manual  of 
Ancient  History,  by  Professor  Heeren,  of  the  University 
of  Gottingen ;  the  Commentaries  of  Patrick,  Lowth, 
Whitby,  etc.;  the  Oxford  Chronological  Tables,  publish- 
ed by  the  lamented  Mr.  D.  A.  Talboys ;  and  the  Works 
of  Dean  Prideaux,  Jahn,  Calmet,  Michaelis,  Tomline, 
Bishoji  Home,  etc.,  etc. 

J.  T.  W. 


NOTICE 


In  giving  to  the  Christian  public"  this  very  remarkable 
book,  it  is  believed  a  great  kindness  will  be  done  to  every 
lover  of  the  Bible.  The  analysis  and  arrangement  seem 
to  be  almost  perfect,  and  withal  so  simple  that  a  child 
may  understand  them.  To  the  student  of  the  Bible  The 
Analysis  and  Summary  will  supply  a  place  which,  it  is 
believed,  no  other  book  can  fill.  The  full  merit  of  this 
book  is  to  be  found  not  only  in  the  almost  incredible 
amount  of  information  it  contains,  but  in  the  wonderful 
arrangement  of  the  author,  by  which  the  reader  can  find 
just  what  he  wants  and  when  he  wants  it.  To  all  mem- 
bers of  Bible  classes,  teachers  in  Sabbath  and  secular 
schools,  and  in  all  family  instruction,  this  book,  it  is  fully 
believed,  will  prove  one  of  the  best  of  human  helps  in 

the  study  of  the  word  of  God. 
10 


^^p  OU-TilNE 


I.  THE  HISTORY  AND  GEOGRAPHY  OF  THE  COUN- 
TRIES  NOTICED  IN  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT; 

II.  THE  CRITICAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  OLD  TESTA- 
MENT. 


I.  THE  HISTORY  AND  GEOGRAPHY. 


ANALYSIS. 

The  "World"  of  ihe  Old  Testament — in  four  divisions;  viz. 

I.  Egypt. 
Boundaries  and  divisions. — Political  history. — Religion.— Commerce 
and  manufactures. 

II.   Countries  between  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Euphrates. 

1st.  Asia  Minor — in  twelve  provinces. 

2d.  Syria  Proper. — Geography. — Political  history. 

3d.  Phoenicia.  —  Geography.  —  Political  history. —  Colonies.  —  Sea 
trade. — Land  trade. — Home  manufactures. 

4th.  Arabia. — Geography. — Political  history. — Divisions  :  Moabites, 
Ammonites,  and  Edomites. 

5th.  Palestine. — Geography:  divisions — viz.  1st.  Into  twelve  tribes  ; 
2d.  Into  a  single  monarchy;  3d.  Into  the  two  monarchies  of  Judah  and 
Israel;  4th.  Into  five  districts. — The  Philistines. — Political  history  :  1. 
The  nomad  state,  1921-1426;  2.  The  federative  republic,  1426-1095  ;  3. 
The  single  monarchy,  1095-975;  4.  The  divided  monarchy  of  Judah 
and  Israel,  975-588:  5.  The  province  and  principality,  B.  c.  588  to  A.  D. 
70, — Productions. — Commerce. 

III.   Countries  hettceen  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris. 
1st.  Mesopotamia,  or  Aram,  or  Padan-aram. 
2d.  Armenia,  containing  the  garden  of  Eden. 

3d.  Babylonia,  or  the  land  of  Shinar. — Geography. — Political  his- 
tory.— Commerce. 

11 


12  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

IV.   Coxintries  between  the  Tiyria  and  Indus. 

Eleven  provinces,  sometimes  forming  one  empire. — Character  of  the 
great  Asiatic  empires. — Ruling  empires  of  South-western  Asia  :  A'iz. 
1st.  AssvHiA. — Gleography  of  Assyria  Proper. — Political  history. 
2d.  Media. — Geography. — Political  history. 
3d.  Persia. — Geography. — Political  history. — Religion. 


SUMMARY. 

1.  The  "World"  of  the  Old  Testament.— The  nations 
whose  history  is  noticed  in  the  Old  Testament  lay  between 
the  40th  degree  north  lat.  and  the  equator,  and  were  included 
in  the  tracts  of  South-western  Asia  and  the  territory  of  Egypt."^' 
The  "  world"  of  Old  Testament  history  was  therefore  bounded 
on  the  east  by  the  rivers  Oxus  and  Indus;  on  the  south  by 
the  Indian  Ocean ;  on  the  west  by  the  Libyan  desert  (Saha- 
ra) ;  and  on  the  north  by  the  Caspian  and  JEuxine  Seas,  with 
the  intervening  range  of  Caucasus,  whose  lofty  summits 
were  never  crossed  by  any  Asiatic  conqueror  before  Genghis 
Khan. 

This  region  may  be  divided  into  four  tracts — viz.  1.  Egypt ; 
2.  Countries  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Mediterranean 
and  Eed  Seas ;  3.  Those  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Ti- 
gris ;  4.  Those  between  the  Tigris  and  the  Indus. 

2.  I.  Egypt :  Boundaries. — Egypt  is  redeemed  from  the  sur- 
rounding desert  by  the  waters  of  the  Nile,  and  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  Mediterranean ;  on  the  east  by  the  Eed  Sea ; 
on  the  south  by  the  Nubian  desert  and  Ethiopia ;  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Libyan  desert. 

3.  Divisions. — 1st.  Upper  or  Southern  Egypt,  or  Thehais,  ex- 
tending from  Syene  to  Chemmis;  crowded  with  temples,  pal- 
aces, tombs,  huge  obelisks,  colossi,  sphinxes,  etc.  Capital, 
Thebes. 

2d.  Central  Egypt,  from  Chemmis  to  Cercasorus;  divided 
into  seven  nomoi  or  governments ;  contained  the  pyramids 
of  Gizeh  and  Lake  Moeris.     Capital,  Memphis. 

3d.  Lower  or  Northern  Egypt,  comprising  the  Delta  and  land 
on  both  sides.  Full  of  cities,  of  which  Sais  was  the  most  re- 
markable ;  but  subsequently  Alexandria  became  the  capital, 
and  the  first  trading  city  in  the  world. 

*  Some  allusions  are  made  to  the  "isles  of  the  sea,"  which  included 
the  islands  and  coasts  of  the  Mediterranean  (Isa.  xi.  11  ;  Ezek.  xvii.  3, 
etc.);  also  to  "Javan,"  or  "Greece"  (Isa.  Ixvi.  19,  etc.),  and  to  "  Tar- 
shish  "  or  "  Tartessus."  a  Tyrian  colony  on  the  southern  coast  of  Spain. 
Isa.  xxiii.,  etc.  India  is  twice  mentioned  in  the  book  of  Esther,  but 
must  have  been  unknown  to  the  Jews. 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  13 

4.  Political  History.— Egypt  was  governed  by  a  monarchy 
and  sacerdotal  aristocracy. 

1.  The  Pharaohs. — 1st  dynasty — Menes  and  his  successors. 
2d  dynasty— Shepherd-kings,  who  were  Bedouin  Arabs,  and 
termed  Hyksos.  3d  dynasty— Sesostris  the  Great  to  the 
overthrow  of  the  oligarchy  of  twelve  princes,  about  B.  c.  650; 
Shishak  (probably  Cephrines)  invaded  Judah  in  the  reign 
of  Rehoboam,  b.  c.  972  (sect.  375).  4th  dynasty— Psammeti- 
chus,  sole  king  to  the  conquest  of  Egypt  by  Carabyses,  B.  c. 
650-525.  Pharaoh-Necho,  who  defeated  Josiah  (sect.  528), 
and  Pharaoh-Hophra,  or  Apries,  who  tried  to  assist  Zedekiah 
(sect.  548),  belonged  to  this  time. 

2.  The  Persians,  525-323.— Y^^jV^  was  conquered  by  Cam- 
byses,  and  was  a  Persian  province,  though  frequently  Revolt- 
ing, until  the  overthrow  of  the  empire  by  Alexander  the 
Great,  who  died  b.  c.  323. 

3.  The  Ptolemies,  323-30. —Viol^mj  Lagus,  first  governor, 
and  afterward  king,  of  Egypt,  which  remained  an  independ- 
ent monarchy  until  the  death  of  Cleopatra,  b.  c.  30,  when  it 
became  a  Roman  province. 

5.  Religion.— Animal  idolatry;  but  different  animals  were 
sacred  in  different  districts,  except  Apis,  who  was  the  nation- 
al god  of  all  Egypt. 

6.  Commerce,  Manufactures,  etc. — Imports. — Gold,  ivory, 
and  slaves  from  Ethiopia ;  incense  from  Arabia;  wine  from 
Greece  and  Phoenicia;  salt  from  the  African  desert. 

Exports.— Corn,  linen,  and  cotton.  The  Egyptians  did  not 
themselves  export  these  wares;  the  African  caravans  were 
chiefly  composed  of  nomad  hordes. 

Manufactures. — Weaving,  dyeing,  working  in  metal,  and 
pottery. 

Productions. — The  byblus,  from  which  the  papyrus  was  pre- 
pared ;  the  lotus ;  flax ;  various  kinds  of  grain,  pulse,  etc.; 
no  lofty  trees  but  the  date  and  sycamore. 

7.  II.  Countries  between  the  Mediterranean  and  the 
Euphrates.— These  comprise— 1st.  Asia  Minor;  2d.  Syria 
Proper;  3d.  Phoenicia;  4th.  Arabia;  and  5th.  Palestine. 

8.  1st.  Asia  Minor. — Anciently  consisted  of  twelve  provinces, 
which  are  mentioned  only  in  the  New  Testament— viz.  Bithy- 
nia,  Paphlagonia,  Pontus,  Mysia,  Lydia,  Caria,  Lycia,  Pisidia 
and  Pamphylia,  Cilicia,  Phrygia  and  Lvcaonia,  Galatia,  and 
Cappadocia. 

9.  2d.  Syria  Proper:  Geography.— Syria,  or  Aram,  in  its 
widest  signification,  included  not  only  all  the  countries  be- 
tween the  Mediterranean  and  the  Euphrates,  but  also  those 
between  the  Euplirates  and  the  Tigris,  and  even  Assyria 
Proper,  and  was  thus  the  first  habitation  of  mankind  after 
the  deluge,  and  included  the  birthplace  of  Abraham,  and  prob- 

2 


14  IXTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

ably  the  garden  of  Eden.  Syria  Proper  was,  however, 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Euphrates,  west  by  the  Mediter- 
ranean, north  by  Cilicia,  and  south  by  Phcenicia,  Palestine, 
and  Arabia  Deserta.  Cities,  Damascus,  Antioch,  Riblah, 
Helbon,  Hamath,  Seleucia,  Tadmor  or  Palmyra,  Baal-Gad 
or  Heliopolis,  now  Baalbec,  and  Tiphsah  or  Thapsacus. 
E-ivers,  Abana,  Pharpar,  and  Orontes. 

10.  Political  History. — 1.  Independent  States,  ante  lO^O. — 
Syria  Proper  was  divided  into  cantons,  such  as  Zobah,  Da- 
mascus, Hamath,  Geshur,  Reliob,  Ishtob,  Maachah,  etc.,  and 
these  were  governed  by  petty  kings. 

2.  A  Jewish  Province,  dr.  1040-975. — David  reduced  Syria 
to  a  Jewish  province,  but  in  Solomon's  reign  Rezon  seized 
Damascus  and  erected  a  kingdom. 

3.  Kingdom  of  Damascus^  975-740. — The  kingdom  of  Da- 
mascus now  comprised  the  greater  portion  of  Syria;  the 
kings  of  the  other  cities  became  tributary,  and  it  soon  be- 
came a  flourishing  monarchy,  and  extended  its  boundaries 
chiefly  at  the  expense  of  the  divided  monarchies  of  Judah 
and  Israel  (see  sect.  491) ;  but  it  was  at  length  overthrown  by 
the  Assyrian  conqueror  Tiglath-pileser. 

4.  A  Dependent  State,  740-6Jf,. — Syria  was  successively  in 
subjection  to  Assyria,  Babylonia,  and  Persia,  and  was  at 
length  reduced  by  Alexander  the  Great ;  but  after  his  death, 
B.  c.  323,  it  formed  part  of  the  kingdom  of  Syria,  which  ex- 
tended from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Indus,  and  was  gov- 
erned by  the  Seleucidae  until  B.  c.  64,  when  it  became  a 
Roman  province. 

11.  3d.  Phoenicia  :  Geography. — Phoenicia  was  a  moun- 
tainous tract  extending  along  the  shore  between  Syria 
Proper  and  the  Mediterranean.  Cities,  Tyre,  built  first  on 
the  mainland,  afterward  on  an  island,  Sidon,  Byblus,  Bery- 
tus,  Tripolis,  and  Aradus.  Mountains,  Lebanon,  consisting 
of  two  parallel  ridges,  Libanus  and  Anti-Libanus,  which 
extended  from  Sidon  to  Damascus,  and  enclosed  the  fertile 
vale  of  Coele-Syria,  now  Baalbec. 

12.  Political  History. — Consisted  of  several  cities  and  their 
territories  under  separate  governments,  of  which  Tyre  was 
the  head. 

1.  Tyrian  kings,  dr.  1050-586. — This  line  of  kings,  extract- 
ed by  Josephus  from  Menander,  commenced  with  Abical,  the 
contemporary  of  David,  and  concluded  with  the  sacking  of 
Tyre  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  Hiram,  successor  of  Abical,  allied 
with  David  and  Solomon.  Three  remarkable  females  be- 
longed to  this  line :  Jezebel,  daughter  of  Ethbaal  I.,  and 
wife  of  Ahab — paganized  Israel;  Athaliah,  daughter  of 
Jezebel  and  Ahab — usurped  Judah;  Dido,  sister  of  Pygma- 
lion— founded  Carthage. 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  15 

2.  Tributary  to  Persia,  586-332. — New  Tyre  was  afterward 
founded,  with  tributary  kings  under  the  Persian  rule,  but  was 
taken  by  Alexander  the  Great,  b.  c.  332. 

3.  Decline. — Phoenicia  was  now  ruined  and  its  trade  trans- 
ferred to  Alexandria.  It  often  changed  its  Syro-Grecian 
and  Egypto-Grecian  masters,  and  at  length  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Romans. 

13.  Colonies. — The  Phoenicians  were  originally  pirates  and 
anciently  possessed  many  islands  in  the  Archipelago,  but 
were  expelled  by  the  Greeks.  They  subsequently  formed 
settlements  on  the  south  of  Spain — Tartessus,  Gades,  Car- 
teia  ;■  on  the  north  coast  of  Africa — Utica,  Cai-thage,  Adru- 
mentum;  on  the  north-western  coast  of  Sicily— Panormus 
and  Lilybaeum ;  and  also  probably  settled  in  the  Persian 
Gulf,  on  the  islands  of  Tylos  and  Aradus — Bahrein. 

14.  Sea  Trade. — The  Phoenicians  sailed — 1st.  To  North 
Africa  and  Spain  for  silver;  2d.  Beyond  the  Pillars  of  Her- 
cules to  Britain  and  the  Scilly  Isles  for  tin,  and  probably 
amber  ;  3d.  They  joined  the  Jews  under  Solomon  in  voyages 
from  Elath  and  Eziongeber  on  the  Red  Sea  to  Ophir — i.  e. 
the  rich  lands  in  the  south,  particularly  Arabia  Felix  and 
Ethiopia  (sect.  357);  4th.  From  the  Persian  Gulf  to  India 
and  Ceylon ;  5th.  On  voyages  of  discovery,  and,  particularly, 
they  circumnavigated  Africa. 

15.  Land  Trade. — This  was  mostly  carried  on  by  caravans — 
viz.  1st.  With  Arabia  for  spices  and  incense,  imported  from 
Arabia  Felix,  Gerrha,  and  the  Persian  Gulf;  2d.  Through 
Palmyra  to  Babylon,  which  opened  an  indirect  communi- 
cation, by  way  of  Persia,  with  Lesser  Bukharia  and  Lit- 
tle Thibet,  and  probably  with  China;  3d.  With  Armenia 
and  neighboring  countries  for  slaves,  horses,  cojipcr  uten- 
sils, etc.* 

16.  Home  Manufactures. — 1st.  Stuffs  and  dyes,  particular- 
ly the  purple  dye  made  from  the  juice  of  a  marine  shell-fish, 
and  of  every  possible  shade ;  2d.  Manufactures  of  glass  and 
toys,  much  used  in  their  commercial  barterings  with  uncivil- 
ized nations.  The  invention  of  letters  is  attributed  to  the 
Phoenicians. 

17.  4th.  Arabia  :  Geography. — A  peninsula  abounding  in 
vast  sandy  deserts,  and  chiefly  occupied  by  the  nomad  de- 
scendants of  Ishmael ;  but  its  northern  and  eastern  coasts 
rendered  it  a  most  important  seat  of  trade. 

18.  Divisions. — Int.  North,  Arabia  FetrcBa,  extending  from 
Palestine  to  the  Red  Sea,  and  inhabited  by  the  southern 
Edomites,Amalekites,  Midianites,  Hivites,  Amorites,  Kenites, 

*  The  twenty-seventh  chapter  of  Ezekiel  contains  an  exact  and  in- 
teresting account  of  Phoenician  commerce. 


16  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

Horim,  Maonim,  and  Cushites,  called  Ethiopians  in  Scrip- 
ture.    Capital,  Petra.     Mountain,  Sinai. 

2d.  Inland.  Arabia  Deserta,  with  Euphrates  on  the  east  and 
Mount  Gilead  on  the  west,  and  comprehended  the  Itureans, 
Nabatheans,  people  of  Kedar,  etc.  The  Rephaim,  Emim, 
Zuzim,  and  Zanzummim  (Gen.  xiv.  5;  Deut.  ii.  10,  11)  an- 
ciently possessed  the  territories  afterward  occupied  by  the 
Moabites,  Ammonites,  and  Edomites. 

3d.  South,  Arabia  Felix,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Per- 
sian Gulf,  south  by  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  west  by  the  Red 
Sea.  Rich  in  spices  and  perfumes,  particularly  frankin- 
cense, and  rich  also  as  being  the  ancient  staple  for  Indian 
merchandise.  Probably  included  the  territory  of  the  queen 
of  Sheba. 

19.  Political  History. — Arabians  are  divided  into  two 
classes:  1st.  Dwellers  in  cities;  2d.  Nomads.  Abimelech, 
king  of  Gerar,  was  visited  by  Abraham  and  Isaac.  Moses, 
after  slaying  the  Egyptian,  fled  to  the  Midianites,  descend- 
ants of  the  fourth  son  of  Abraham  and  Keturah,  who  subse- 
quently joined  the  Amalekites  and  other  nomad  Arabs  in 
ravaging  Palestine  (sect.  279).  The  Amorites,  Amalekites, 
and  others  were  conquered  by  Moses.  The  Moabites,  Am- 
monites, and  Edomites  were  petty  kingdoms  frequently  at 
war  with  the  Israelites,  and  lay  on  the  east  of  the  Jordan, 

20.  Moabites. — Incestuously  descended  from  Lot ;  defeated 
the  giants  Emim,  and  occupied  a  territory  on  the  banks  of 
the  Arnon.  Capital,  Ar  or  Ariel,  called  also  Rabbah-Moab 
and  Kirharesh.  Idols,  Chemosh  and  Baal-peor.  Lost  terri- 
tory to  the  Amorites,  but  not  attacked  by  Moses,  though 
Balak  tried  to  persuade  Balaam  to  curse  the  Israelites.  Eg- 
lon  subsequently  oppressed  Israel  (sect.  276),  but  was  assas- 
sinated by  Ehud.  Saul  subdued  them  (sect.  308),  and  David 
(sect.  329),  but  after  the  death  of  Ahab  its  king,  Mesha,  re- 
fused to  pay  tribute  (sect.  423),  and  was  closely  besieged  by 
Jehoshaphat  and  Jehoram  in  his  capital,  and  sacrificed  his  eld- 
est son  on  the  wall  (sect.  429).  Moab  was  afterward  carried  cap- 
tive by  Assyria,  and  probably  followed  the  fortunes  of  Israel. 

21.  Ammonites. — Incestuously  descended  from  Lot;  sub- 
dued the  Zanzummim,  and  occupied  their  country  north- 
east of  the  Moabites.  Capital,  Rabbath.  Lost  territory  to 
the  Amorites,  which  was  afterward  occupied  by  the  tribes 
east  of  the  Jordan.  Assisted  Moab  in  conquering  Canaan 
(sect.  276),  but  were  defeated  by  Jephthah  (sect.  291),  by 
Saul  (sect.  306),  and  by  David  (sect.  331),  and  Rabbath  was 
taken  by  Joab  (sect.  333).  They  subsequently  united  with 
the  Edomites  and  Moabites  in  attacking  Judah,  but  were  de- 
feated by  Jehoshaphat  (sect.  422).  Their  country  afterward 
followed  the  fortunes  of  Israel. 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  17 

22.  Edomites. — Descendants  of  Esau;  settled  in  Mount 
Seir,  in  the  land  of  the  Horites,  and  spread  through  Arabia 
PetrEea  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  Mediterranean.  Capitals, 
Bozra  and  Petra.  First  governed  by  dukes  or  princes,  after- 
ward by  kings,  but  subdued  by  Saul  (sect.  308),  by  David 
(sect.  329).  Hadad  became  an  independent  king  toward 
the  close  of  Solomon's  reign  (sect.  362).  In  Jehoram's  reign 
Edom  rebelled,  and  Amaziah  subsequently  took  Petra  and 
obliged  ten  thousand  people  to  leap  from  the  rock  (sect.  464). 
It  was  subsequently  ravaged  by  Nebuchadnezzar  (sect.  559), 
and  conquered  by  John  Hyrcanus  {Con.,  sect.  45). 

23.  5th.  Palestine :  Geography. — Palestine  Proper  was 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Syria  and  Phoenicia,  on  the  east  by 
Arabia  Deserta,  on  the  south  by  Arabia  Petrsea,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  Mediterranean.  The  limits  of  the  territory  were, 
however,  perpetually  changing.  Under  the  judges  the  coun- 
try east  of  the  Jordan  was  often  oppressed  by  the  Ammonites 
and  Moabites,  whilst  the  Philistines  held  a  considerable  dis- 
trict in  South-western  Judah.  Under  David  and  Solomon 
the  limits  of  the  kingdom  were  much  enlarged,  extending 
from  the  Euphrates  to  the  Red  Sea,  and  from  the  Mediterra- 
nean to  Arabia  Deserta,  thus  comprising  Syria  Proper  and 
Philistia,  Moab  and  Amnion  in  Arabia  Deserta,  and  nearly 
all  Arabia  Petraea,  including  Edom,  etc.  Mountains,  Gilead, 
Carmel,  Tabor,  Hermoh,  Gilboa,  and  Lebanon.  Rivers,  Jor- 
dan, Arnon,  Jabbok,  and  Kishon.  Lakes,  Merom,  Genhesa- 
reth,  and  the  Dead  Sea. 

24.  Divisions  :  1st.  Into  Twelve  Tribes  by  Joshua  (sect. 
263),  during  which  the  tabernacle  was  set  up  in  Shiloh.  The 
territory  of  each  tribe  was  subdivided  according  to  the  fami- 
lies (sect.  128). 

25.  2d.  Into  a  Single  Monarchy,  during  the  reigns  of  Saul, 
David,  and  Solomon.     Capital,  Jebus  or  Jerusalem. 

26.  3d.  Into  the  two  Monarchies  of  Judah  and  Israel. — Judah 
comprised  two  tribes.  Capital,  Jerusalem.  Israel  comprised 
ten  tribes.  Capital,  first  Shechem,  then  Tirzah,  and  finally 
Samaria. 

27.  4th.  Into  five  Districts,  under,  successively,  the  Per- 
sians, Ptolemies,  Seleucidse,  Asamoneans,  Herodians,  and 
Romans.  West  of  the  Jordan. — 1st.  Judsea,  on  the  south. 
Capital,  Jerusalem.  2d.  Samaria,  in  the  centre.  Cities,  Sa- 
maria, or  Sebaste,  and  Sichem.  3d.  Galilee,  on  the  north. 
Towns,  Nazareth,  Cana,  Bethsaida,  etc.  East  of  the  Jor- 
dan.— 4th.  Peraea.*  Cities,  Pella,  Machaerus,  etc.  On  the 
South. — 5th.  Idumsea,  the  ancient  Edom. 

*  Division  of  Peraa. — Pertea,  which  signifies  "  the  country  on  the  oppo- 
eite  side,"  was  a  general  name  for  any  district  belonging  to  or  closely  con- 

2*  .     b' 


18  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

28.  Political  History. — A  spirit  of  theocracy  prevailed  more 
or  less  throughout  every  form  of  Jewish  government. 

29.  I.  The  Nomad  State,  1921-1426,  from  Abraham  until  the 
death  of  Joshua. — 1st  period — Patriarchal  government  under 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  1921-1706.  Canaan  occupied 
by  ten  races :  Kenites,  Kenizzites,  and  Kadmonites  east  of 
the  Jordan  ;  west,  by  the  Hittites,  Perizzites,  Rephaims,  Am- 
orites,  Canaanites,  Girgashites,  and  Jebusites.  Divided  into 
states  governed  by  petty  kings,  many  of  whom  were  subdued 
by  Chedorlaomer,  king  of  Elam  or  ancient  Persia  (sect.  24). 
2d  period — Israelites  divided  into  ten  tribes,  resided  in  Egypt, 
1706-1491.  Dynasty  of  Menes  expelled  by  the  Hyksos  or 
Shepherd-kings,  and  the  Israelites  reduced  to  slavery  and 
their  male  infants  slain.  Moses  born,  1571.  3d  period — A 
strict  theocracy  during  the  wanderings  in  the  wilderness  un- 
der Moses,  and  conquest  of  Canaan  under  Joshua,  1491-1426. 
Exode  from  Egypt;  law  delivered  on  Mount  Sinai,  1490; 
Moses  died,  1451 ;   Joshua  died,  1426. 

30.  2.  The  Federative  Republic,  1426-1095.— Each  tribe 
was  governed  by  its  own  patriarch,  but  all  were  united  in  one 
federate  state  and  one  common  bond  by  the  worship  of  Je- 
hovah ;  introduction  of  idolatry  punished  by  the  oppression 
of  neighboring  powers  ;  heroes  or  judges  raised  up  at  various 
times  to  deliver  the  people,  and  govern  them  in  the  spirit  of 
theocracy ;  ill-government  of  Samuel's  sons  induced  the  peo- 
ple to  demand  a  king. 

31.  3.  The  Single  Monarchy,  1065-975.— Saul  made  king, 
but  acted  in  opposition  to  the  divine  commands.  David  suc- 
ceeded him,  and  extended  his  dominions  to  the  Euphrates  and 
Eed  Sea,  and  made  Palestine  the  ruling  monarchy  in  Western 
Asia.  His  son  Solomon  succeeded  and  allied  with  the  Phoe- 
nicians, and  carried  on  an  extensive  commerce  by  land  and 
sea.  Built  the  temple,  but  afterward  tempted  to  idolatry, 
and  the  nations  conquered  by  David  rebelled. 

32.  4.  The  Divided  Monarchy  of  Judah  and  Israel,  975-588. — 
Eehoboam,  son  of  Solomon,  refused  to  lighten  the  people  from 
the  heavy  taxation  imposed  by  Solomon,  and  the  ten  tribes 
revolted  under  Jeroboam.     The  kings  of  Israel  introduced 

nected  with  a  country  from  the  main  part  of  which  it  was  separated  by  a 
sea  or  river.  The  name  Persea  was  therefore  applied  in  its  more  extended 
sense  to  the  whole  territory  stretching  from  the  river  Arnon  to  Mount  Her- 
mon,  between  the  Jordan  and  the  desert,  and  was  subdivided  into  eight 
districts  or  cantons — viz.  1.  Persea,  in  the  more  limited  sense,  which  only 
extended  from  the  Arnon  to  the  Jabbok;  2.  Gilead,  or  Galaaditis ;  3. 
Deeapolis,  or  Ten  Cities,  of  which  little  is  known  for  certain  j  4.  Gau- 
lonitis;  5.  Batanea,  the  ancient  Bashan;  6.  Itura^a  or  Auranitis;  7. 
Trachonitis  ;  8.  Abilene,  in  the  extreme  north,  among  the  mountains 
of  Anti-Libanus,  between  Baalbec  and  Damascus. 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  '  19 

idolatry  to  prevent  tbeir  subjects  from  worshipping  at  Jeru- 
salem ;  and,  defying  the  warnings  of  Elisha,  Elijah,  and  other 
prophets,  the  nation  was  carried  into  Assyrian  captivity  by 
Shalmaneser,  b.  c.  721.  The  early  kings  of  Judah  reigned 
righteously,  but  subsequently  allied  and  intermarried  with 
the  kings  of  Israel  and  followed  in  their  idolatrous  steps; 
and  though  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  others  warned  the  people, 
and  Hezekiah,  Josiah,  and  other  good  kings  deferred  the 
punishment  of  the  kingdom,  yet  the  nation  was  at  length 
carried  into  Babylonian  captivity,  B.  c.  588. 

33.  6.  The  Province  and  Principality,  B.  C.  588  to  A.  D.  70. 
— IsL  The  Babylonian  Captivity,  606-536,  reckoning  from  the 
first  taking  of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar  to  the  edict  of 
Cyrus,  lasted  seventy  years,  during  which  time  the  land  lay 
desolate. 

2d.  The  Persians,  536-323. — Cyrus,  having  overthrown  the 
Babylonian  empire  and  established  the  Medo-Persian,  per- 
mitted the  Jews  to  return  to  Judaea  under  Zerubbabel  (sect. 
572).  They  were  subsequently  governed  by  their  high  priests, 
under  the  satrap  of  Syria,  and  paid  tribute  to  Persia.  Alex- 
ander the  Great  overthrew  the  empire  B.  c.  330,  and  died  b.  c. 
323. 

3d.  The  Successors  of  Alexander,  323-300.— Yiol^nt  ^\ST^Mie% 
broke  out  amongst  Alexander's  generals  after  his  death,  and 
Palestine  frequently  changed  masters,  until  a  permanent 
treaty  was  established  between  the  four  kings. 

J^th.  The  Ptolemies,  300-202.— The  high  priests  governed  the 
Jews  and  farmed  the  revenues  under  the  Ptolemies.  Flour- 
ishing period  of  Jewish  literature,  and  completion  of  the  Sep- 
tuagint. 

5)h.  The  SeleucidcB,  202-166.— Antioclms  III.,  or  the  Great, 
wrested  Palestine  from  Ptolemy  V.,  or  Epiphanes,  and  the 
Jews  now  paid  tribute  to  Syria,  but  were  governed  by  their 
own  high  priests  and  Sanhedrim.  Antiochus  IV.,  or  Epi- 
phanes, persecuted  the  Jews  for  not  following  the  Greek 
idolatrv,  and  the  latter  revolted  under  Mattathias,  who 
died  b'.  c.  166. 

6th.  The  Maccabees,  166-37. — War  under  Judas  Maccabaeus 
and  his  successors  for  religious  freedom,  not  for  political  in- 
dependence, and  the  Jews  still  paid  tribute  to  Syria ;  but  in 
.  _B.  c.  143,  Demetrius  Nicator  acknowledged  the  independence 
(  of  the  Jews,  and  relinquished  all  claims  for  taxes.  The  quar- 
*  rels  between  Hyrcanus  II.  and  Ahtigonus  and  their  appeal 
to  Pompey  made  the  Jewish  state  dependent  on  Rome,  and 
Herod,  having  obtained  the  favor  of  Antony  by  gifts  and  as- 
siduous attention,  was  made  king  of  Judaea. 

7th.  The  Herodiam  and  Romans,  B.  C.  37  to  A.  D.  70.— Our 
Saviour  was  born  b.  c.  4,  and  Herod  died  b.  c.  3.    His  king- 


20  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

dom  was  divided  by  his  three  sons  into  three  tetrarchies, 
which  were  subsequently  appended  to  Syria  and  became  a 
Roman  province.*  Our  Lord  was  crucified  under  Pontius 
Pilate,  a  Roman  procurator,  A.  d.  29,  in  the  thirty-third  year 
of  his  age.  The  Jews  rebelled  under  Gessius  Florus.  Titus 
destroyed  Jerusalem,  a.  d.  70. 

34.  Productions. — Wheat,  honey,  grapes,  oil,  olives,  pome- 
granates, apples,  figs,  almonds,  citrons,  balm,  etc.  The  prin- 
cij)al  shrubs,  herbs,  and  trees  are  aloe,  hyssop,  the  rose,  spike- 
nard, mandrake  (a  species  of  melon),  myrtle,  mustard  tree, 
cedar,  oak,  palm,  etc.  The  mountains  contained  iron  and 
copper.  The  valleys  aiForded  capital  pasture  for  sheep,  oxen, 
goats,  camels,  and  asses.  The  rivers  and  lakes  abounded  in 
fish,  which  were  cured  by  salt  from  the  Dead  Sea. 

35.  Commerce. — Palestine  was  an  agricultural  country,  but 
allied  with  Phoenicia  during  the  reigns  of  David  and  Solo- 
mon, and  carried  on  an  extensive  commerce  by  land  and  sea. 
(See  sect.  357.) 

36.  Philistia :  Geography. — Philistia  was  a  small  territory 
bordering  on  the  south-west  of  Judaea.  Cities,  Ekron,  Gath, 
Askelon,  Ashdod,  and  Gaza. 

37.  Political  History. — The  Philistines  were  not  Canaan- 
ites,  but  originally  Egyptians  from  the  Pelusiac  branch  of 
the  Nile,  and  they  had  migrated  from  Caphtor  (Cyprus)  not 
long  before  the  arrival  of  the  Hebrews,  and  expelled  the 
Avim  from  the  low  country  in  Southern  Palestine,  and  there 
established  five  governments  or  lordships  in  five  cities.  They 
were  defeated  by  Shamgar  and  Samson  (sect.  277  and  297), 
and  by  Saul  (sect.  307),  and  rendered  tributary  by  David 
(sect.  329).  They  revolted  under  Jehoram  (sect.  436),  but 
were  defeated  by  Uzziah  (sect.  472),  and  again  rebelled  from 
Ahaz  (sect.  493),  but  were  reduced  by  Hezekiah  (sect.  506). 
They  subsequently  suffered  from  the  same  enemies  as  the 
Jews,  but  were  at  length  wholly  subdued  by  Alexander  Jan- 
nseus. 

38.  III.  Countries  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris. — 
These  comprised — 1st.  Mesopotamia;  2d.  Armenia;  and  3d. 
Babylonia. 

39.  1st.  Mesopotamia,  or  Aram,  or  Padan-aram,  anciently 
included  both  Armenia  and  Babylonia,  and  even  part  of 
Syria,  and  is  considered  to  be  the  first  habitation  of  mankind 
after  the  deluge,  and  gave  birth  to  Terah,  Abraham,  Nahor, 
Sarah,  Rebekah,  Leah,  and  the  sons  of  Jacob.  Mesopotamia 
Proper  consisted  of  a  table-land  occupied  by  nomad  hordes, 
with  Armenia  on  the  north  and  Babylonia  on  the  south,  and 

*  See  the  Analysis  and  Summary  of  New  Testament  History,  by  tha 
author  of  the  present  volume. 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  21 

it  successively  became  a  part  of  the  Assyrian,  Persian,  Mace- 
donian, and  Syrian  empires. 

40.  2d.  Armenia  was  a  mountainous  territory  north  of 
Mesopotamia,  watered  by  the  rivers  Cyrus,  Araxes,  and 
Phasis.  It  is  supposed  to  have  included  the  garden  of  Eden, 
and  its  history  is  similar  to  that  of  Mesopotamia. 

41.  3d.  Babylonia,  or  the  Land  of  Shinar:  Geography. — 
Babylonia  was  a  level  plain  south  of  Mesopotamia  Proper, 
remarkable  for  the  richness  of  its  soil.  Anciently,  by  its 
high  cultivation,  its  canals  and  lakes,  and  the  erection  of 
dams,  it  was  the  most  fruitful,  and  from  its  situation  the 
most  opulent,  state  of  Inner  Asia.  Capital,  Babylon,  on 
the  Euphrates. 

42.  Political  History. — 1st  Period,  prior  to  the  Chaldean 
Conquest,  cir.  B.  C.  2234-626. — Nimrod  founded  Babel  or 
Babylon,  from  whence  Asshur  migrated  and  founded  Assyria, 
which  was  afterward  conquered  by  Nimrod.  See  "Assyria" 
and  sect.  16,  note. 

2d.  From  the  Chaldean  Conquest  to  the  taking  of  Babylon  by 
Cyrus,  B.  C.  626-539.— The  Chaldeans,  a  nomad  race,  de- 
scended from  Caucasus  and  Taurus,  overwhelmed  Southern 
Asia,  and  mastered  Babylonia.*  (See  sect.  535.)  Ptolemy 
enumerates  thirteen  Chaldean  kings  as  reigning  prior  to  this 
conquest  of  Babylonia,  which  seems  to  have  been  completed 
by  Nabopolassar,  whose  son  and  successor,  Nebuchadnezzar, 
subdued  Asia  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Tigris,  and 
founded  the  Chaldee- Babylonian  empire.  For  a  history  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  and  his  successors  down  to  the  taking  of 
Babylon  by  Cyrus,  see  sect.  558-570.  Babylon  subsequently 
followed  the  fortunes  of  the  Persian  empire. 

43.  Commerce. — Babylon  owed  its  extensive  commerce  to 
its  superior  geographical  position,  which,  while  it  afforded 
admirable  facilities  for  traffic  by  land,  was  equally  conve- 
nient for  maritime  and  river  navigation  on  the  Euphrates 
and  Tigris  and  the  Persian  Gulf.  By  land  the  Babylonians 
imported  from  the  countries  east  of  Persia — 1st.  Onyxes, 
sardines,  emeralds,  jaspers,  etc.,  which  they  obtained  from 
the  Ghaut  Mountains  and  Bactrian  desert ;  2d.  Indian  dogs, 
dyes,  wool,  gold,  and  gold-dust;  3d.  Silk  from  China,  etc. 
By  sea  they  imported — 1st.  Incense  from  Arabia;  2d.  Cot- 
ton,  spices,   ivory,   ebony,   etc.,  from   India;   3d.  Bamboos, 

*  Mr.  Grote  {Greece,  iii.  p.  392,  third  edit.),  resting  on  Herodotus 
and  Strabo,  can  see  nothing  in  the  Chaldeans  but  Babylonian  priests. 
This  was  certainly  their  later  position  (or  the  later  use  of  their  name), 
but  the  Chaldeans  are  familiarly  spoken  of  by  the  prophets  as  coming 
from  the  north,  and  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  was  in  Northern  Mesopotamia. 
Magians  and  Chaldeans  seem  both  to  have  fallen  from  dominant  tribes 
into  priesthoods. 


22  i:\TRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

teak-wood,  etc.,  from  Tylos ;  4tli.  Cinnamon  from  Ceylon ; 
6th.  Pearls  from  the  Persian  Gulf,  etc.  Their  chief  manu- 
factures were  woven  stuffs,  carpets,  brilliantly-colored  and 
finely-textured  cottons,  of  which  the  principal  factories  were 
at  Borsippa  on  the  Euphrates,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Baby- 
lon. They  were  also  famous  for  their  SAveet  waters,  engraving 
on  precious  stones,  seal-rings,  chased  walking-sticks,  costly 
perfumes,  etc. 

44.  IV.  Countries  between  the  Tigris  and  Indus. — These 
comprised,  1.  Assyria,  or  the  province  of  Adiabene;  2.  Su- 
siana;  3.  Persis;  4.  Carmania;  5.  Gedrosia;  6.  Media;  7. 
Aria;  8.  Arachosia;  9.  Parthia  and  Hyrcanus;  10.  Bactria; 
11.  Sogdiana.  The  empires  successively  founded  by  Assyria, 
Babylonia,  Media,  and  Persia  included,  however,  the  princi- 
pal portions  of  this  territory. 

45.  Character  of  the  great  Asiatic  Empires. — The  mighty 
empires  of  the  East  were,  with  the  exception  of  the  one 
founded  by  Alexander,  erected  by  warlike  nomad  hordes, 
who,  pressed  by  necessity  or  circumstances,  forsook  their 
northern  and  sterile  climes  to  carry  war  and  conquest  into 
the  fruitful  and  cultivated  lands  of  Southern  Asia.  Here 
they  established  a  brilliant  but  evanescent  empire,  for  they 
quickly  adopted  the  luxurious  habits  of  the  vanquished  na- 
tions, and  consequently  were  soon  overthrown  by  fresh  swarms 
of  uncorrupted  warriors,  who  also  in  their  turn  degenerated 
and  gave  way  to  new  invaders.  The  general  features  in  the 
gradual  internal  development  of  all  empires  formed  by  nomad 
conquerors  are — 1st.  The  mere  occupation  of  rich  territories 
and  levying  of  tribute,  w4ien  the  constitutions  already  estab- 
lished among  the  conquered  or  tributary  nations  are  gener- 
ally suffered  to  remain ;  2d.  The  gradual  progress  toward 
the  adoption  of  a  fixed  abode  and  the  building  of  cities, 
together  with  the  assumption  of  the  customs  and  civiliza- 
tion of  the  conquered  ;  3d.  The  division  into  provinces,  and, 
as  a  necessary  consequence,  the  establishment  of  satrap  gov- 
ernment; 4th.  Insurrections  of  the  satraps  and  pernicious 
influence  of  the  seraglio,  which  quickly  produce  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  empire  or  its  total  annihilation  by  some  violent 
attack  from,  without. 

46.  Ruling  Empires  of  South-western  Asia:  1st.  Assyria. — 
Assyria  Proper,  or  the  province  of  Adiabene,  consisted  of  a 
table-land  east  of  the  Tigris,  having  Armenia  on  the  north, 
Mesopotamia  on  the  west.  Babylonia  on  the  south,  and  Me- 
dia and  Susiana  on  the  east.  Cities,  Nineveh  (Ninus)  and 
Arbela.  "  Assyria "  was,  however,  a  name  given  to  an  an- 
cient and  vast  empire  erected  among  the  nations  bordering 
on  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  and  included,  according  to 
Strabo  and  other  geographers,  all  the  Asiatic  countries  south 


IXTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  23 

of  the  Taurus,  excepting  Persia,  Arabia  Proper,  and  Pales- 
tine. 

47.  Political  History. — 1.  Primeval  Period. — Asshur,  or  As- 
8ur,  third  son  of  Shem,  migrated  from  the  land  of  Shinar  to 
the  country  called,  after  him,  Assyria,  which  was  afterward 
subdued  by  Nimrod,  son  of  Gush,  who  built  Nineveh  on  the 
Tigris,  and  named  it  after  his  son  Ninus.  (See  sect.  486, 
note.)  Nineveh  became  a  great  city  in  the  time  of  Jonah, 
cir.  B.  c.  862.  Mythical  accounts  of  Ninus,  Semiramis,  Nin- 
yas,  etc. 

2.  Jewish  Period. — Line  of  kings  recorded  in  Scripture  B.C. 
771-604:  Pul,  Tiglath-pileser,  Shalmaneser,  Sennacherib,  and 
Esarhaddon.  Seat  of  the  nation  in  Assyria  Proper.  Israel 
carried  into  captivity  by  Shalmaneser,  b.  c.  721.  Sennacherib 
invaded  Egypt  and  his  army  destroyed  by  an  angel  of  the 
Lord,  B.  c.  710.  Medes  revolted  from  Assyria  and  formed  a 
separate  empire  under  Deioces,  b.  c.  709.  Babylon  separated 
from  the  Assyrian  empire,  b.  c.  626.  Babylonians  and  Medes 
take  Nineveh,  B.  c.  612.     (See  sect.  535.) 

48.  2d.  Media. — Media  Proper  lay  north  of  Persis,  and 
was  an  extensive  and  very  fruitful  country,  mountainous  to- 
ward the  north.  Rivers,  Araxes,  Cyrus,  and  Mardus.  Cities, 
Ecbatana  and  Rages.  The  name  of  Medes,  however,  is  fre- 
quently used  as  a  common  appellation  of  the  ruling  nations 
in  Western  Asia,  from  Tigris  to  the  Indus,  or  Persia  (in  the 
more  extensive  sense  of  that  word)  before  Cyrus.  It  is  gen- 
erally noticed  in  Scripture  as  a  conquering  nation. 

49.  Political  History. — Medes  revolted  from  Assyria,  B.  c. 
709,  and  formed  a  separate  empire  under  Deioces  [Arphax- 
ad],  who  founded  Ecbatana,  allied  with  the  Babylonians, 
and  took  Nineveh,  b.  c.  612.  (See  sect.  535.)  The  empire 
of  the  Medes  now  became  a  ruling  monarchy  in  Asia,  and 
extended  its  conquests  from  the  Tigris  to  the  Indus,  whilst 
the  Chaldee-Babylonian  empire  subdued  the  countries  from 
the  Tigris  to  the  Mediterranean.  Darius  the  Mede  (Cyax- 
ares  II.)  died  B.  c.  537,  and  was  succeeded  by  Cyrus  the  Per- 
sian, when  Media  Proper  became  a  province  of  the  Persian 
empire. 

50.  3d.  Persia. — Persis,  or  Persia  Proper,  lay  north  of  Me- 
dia. It  was  rugged  and  mountainous  toward  the  north,  level 
and  fruitful  in  the  centre,  and  sandy  toward  the  south.  Riv- 
ers, the  Cyrus  and  Araxes.  City,  Persepolis,  or  Pasargada, 
the  national  palace  and  cemetery  of  the  kings  of  Persia. 
"Persia"  subsequently  became  the  designation  of  the  vast 
empire  established  by  Cyrus. 

51.  Political  History. — Primitive  Condition. — The  Persians 
were  a  highland  people,  subject  to  the  Medes,  dwelling  in  the 
mountainous  parts  of  the  province  of  Persis,  and  leading  a 


24  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

nomad  life.  They  were  divided  into  ten  clans,  of  which  that 
of  the  Pasargadae  was  the  noblest  and  the  ruling  horde. 

Cyrus,  or  Kai  Khosru,  cir.  B.  C.  560-530. — His  early  life  is 
obscured  by  romance,  but  it  is  evident  that  he  was  elected 
chief  of  all  the  Persian  tribes,  then  subject  to  Media,  in  the 
same  way  as  Genghis  Khan  in  a  later  age  was  placed  at  the 
head  of  all  the  Mogul  hordes.  Three  ruling  monarchies  now 
existed  in  Asia:  1.  The  Medes,  from  the  Tigris  to  the  Indus; 
2.  The  Babylonians,  or  Chaldeans,  from  the  Tigris  to  the  Med- 
iterranean; 3.  The  Lydians,  who,  under  their  king  Croesus, 
liad  conquered  the  greater  part  of  Asia  Minor,  to  the  river 
Halys.  Cyrus  overthrew  the  Medes,  or  Medo-Bactrian  em- 
pire, by  the  defeat  of  Astyages,  subdued  all  the  Lydian  ter- 
ritory, seized  the  Greek  colonies  in  Asia,  captured  Babylonia, 
and  subjugated  the  Phoenicians.  In  b.  c.  536  he  granted  an 
edict  permitting  the  Jews  to  return  from  captivity.  Cyrus, 
having  extended  the  frontiers  of  the  Persian  empire  in  South- 
ern Asia  to  the  Mediterranean,  the  Oxus,  and  the  Indus,  made 
an  unsuccessful  campaign  against  the  Massagetae  (the  nomad 
races  inhabiting  the  steppes  of  Central  Asia),  and  fell  in  the 
contest  (sect.  576). 

Cambyses,  580-522. — The  Ahasuerus  of  Ezra  iv.  6 ;  conquered 
Egypt,  but  was  unsuccessful  against  the  Ammonians  and  Ethi- 
opians.    Magians  revolt.     (See  sect.  576.) 

Smerdis  Magus,  522. — The  Artaxerxes  of  Ezra  iv.  7-23.  An 
usurper.     (See  sect.  577.) 

Darius  Hystaspis,  521-485. — Called  Darius  the  Mede.  Ezra 
iv.  4 ;  vi.  Invaded  Scythia.  Babylon  revolted  and  was  re- 
taken. Ionian  colonies  in  Asia  revolted,  which  was  followed 
by  a  war  with  Greece.  Battle  of  Marathon,  B.  c.  490.  (See 
sect.  578.) 

Xerxes,  4^5-464. — Subdued  the  Egyptian  revolt  and  made 
an  expedition  against  Greece.  Battles  of  Thermopylaj  and 
Salamis,  b.  c.  480.  Battles  of  Plataea  and  Mycale,  b.  c.  479. 
(See  sect.  582.) 

Artaxerxes  Longimanus  and  his  Successors,  464-^30. — For  a 
summary  of  this  period,  down  to  the  overthrow  of  the  empire 
by  Alexander  the  Great,  see  sect.  583. 

52.  Religion. — The  ancient  religion  of  the  Persians  was  the 
Magian,  or  worship  of  fire,  and  included,  according  to  the 
Zendavesta,  two  conflicting  principles— Ormuzd,  god  of  light, 
and  Ahriman,  god  of  darkness.  Zoroaster,  who  flourished, 
according  to  Prideaux  and  Hyde,  during  the  reign  of  Darius 
Hystaspis,  was  the  great  reformer  of  the  Persian  religion. 
The  Magian  doctrine  still  exists  among  the  Ghebres  in 
Persia  and  the  Parsees  in  India. 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  25 


11.  THE  CEITICAL  HISTOKY  OF  THE  OLD  TES- 
TAMENT. 


ANALYSIS. 

The  Bible.— Divisions  of  the  Old  Testament :  I.  The  Pentateuch,  or 
five  Books  of  the  Law;  II.  The  twelve  Historical  Books;  III.  The 
five  Poetical  Books,  or  Holy  Writings;  IV.  The  seventeen  Prophetical 
Books;  The  Apocrypha.— Original  language  of  the  Old  Testament.— 
The  Septuagint.— The  Vulgate.— English  translations. 


SUMMARY. 

53.  The  Bible— /3</3Aoc,  i.  e.  the  Book — is  comprised  in  the 
Old  Testament,  which  contains  thirty-nine  books,  and  the 
New  Testament,  which  contains  twenty-seven  books;  in 
addition  to  these  are  the  Apocryphal  Writings,  which 
are  contained  in  fourteen  books. 

54.  Division  of  the  Old  Testament.— The  thirty-nine  books 
of  the  Old  Testament  are  divided  into  four  classes— viz.  I.  The 
Pentateuch,  or  five  Books  of  the  Law.  II.  The  twelve  His- 
torical Books.  III.  The  five  Poetical  Books,  or  Holy 
Writings.  IV.  The  seventeen  Prophetical  Books— viz. 
1.  The  five  Books,  including  Lamentations,  by  the  four  Great- 
er Prophets  and  2.  The  twelve  Books  of  the  twelve  Minor 
Prophets. 

55.  I.  The  Pentateuch,  or  Five  Books  of  the  Law,  from  Hfvre, 
five,  and  tevxoq,  a  volume.  It  comprises  Genesis,  Exodus, 
Leviticus,  Numbers,  and  Deuteronomy,  and  was  all  writ- 
ten by  Moses,  excepting  perhaps  the  last  chapter  of  Deuter- 
onomy, which  contains  an  account  of  the  death  of  Moses,  and 
was  therefore  probably  written  by  Joshua  or  Samuel,  or  some 
other  later  prophet. 

The  history  of  the  Pentateuch  extends  from  the  creation  to 
the  death  of  Moses,  B.  c.  4004-1451,  and  includes  a  period  of 
2453  years.     It  is  divided  into  three  sections — viz. 

1.  History  of  the  creation  and  deluge  and  the  generations 
prior  to  Abraham.  Gen.  i.-xi. 

2.  History  of  the  Jews  as  a  nomad  family — their  patriarch- 
al state,  Egyptian  slavery,  and  wanderings  in  the  wilderness 
under  Moses.  Gen.  xii.-l. ;  Ex.  i.-xix. ;  Numbers. 


26  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

3.  The  Mosaic  code  of  laws  and  ordinances.  Ex.  xx.-xl. ; 
Leviticus  and  Deuteronomy. 

56.  II.  The  Twelve  Historical  Books — viz.  Joshua, 
Judges,  Euth,  1  and  2  Samuel,  1  and  2  Kings,  1  and  2 
Chronicles,  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and  Esther.  The  authors 
of  these  books  are  unknown.  It  seems  certain  that  from  the 
commencement  of  the  theocracy  scribes  were  employed  to 
write  the  records  of  their  times ;  which  records  were  subse- 
quently deposited  in  the  tabernacle  or  temple.  It  is  there- 
fore conjectured  that  the  historical  books,  to  the  end  of 
Kings,  were  compiled  from  these  original  records  by  Jere- 
miah, shortly  before  the  Captivity,  and  that  the  remaining 
five  books,  from  1  Chronicles  to  Esther,  were  compiled  by 
Ezra.  The  history  of  these  twelve  books  extends  from  the 
death  of  Moses  to  the  end  of  Nehemiah's  history,  B.  c.  1451 
to  about  B.  c.  434 — a  period  of  1017  years.  It  is  divided  into 
five  sections : 

I.  History  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan  under  Joshua. 
Joshua. 

II.  History  of  the  Jews  under  a  federative  republic. 
Judges;  1  Sam.  i.-viii.;  including  the  episode  of  Ruth. 

III.  History  of  the  Jews  under  a  single  monarchy — viz. 
of  Saul,  David,  and  Solomon.  1  Sam.  ix.  to  end ;  2  Sam. ; 
1  Kings  i.-xii. ;  1  Chron. ;  2  Chron.  i.-ix. 

IV.  History  of  the  Jews  under  the  divided  monarchy  of 
Jiidah  and  Israel.  1  Kings  xii.  to  end ;  2  Kings ;  2  Chron. 
x.  to  end. 

V.  History  of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonian  captivity  to 
the  end  of  Nehemiah's  history.  Ezra;  Nehemiah;  with 
portions  of  Jeremiah,  Daniel,  etc.,  and  including  the  episode 
of  Esther. 

During  the  period  of  the  Pentateuch  and  historical  books, 
the  whole  of  the  five  poetical  books  must  have  been  com- 
posed, and  all  the  prophecies  in  the  seventeen  prophetical 
books  delivered. 

57.  III.  The  Five  Poetical  Books,  or  Holy  Writings — Hagio- 
grapha,  from  ayiug,  holy,  and  ypa&rj^  a  writing.  They  comprise 
Job,  Psalms,  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  and  Solomon's  Song. 
They  are  called  poetical  books  because  they  are  almost  whol- 
ly written  in  Hebrew  metre.  Job  is  supposed  to  have  been 
written  by  Moses;  the  Psalms  by  ten  persons — viz.  Moses, 
David,  Solomon,  Asaph,  Heman,  Ethan,  Jeduthun,  and  the 
three  sons  of  Korah ;  the  Proverbs  chiefly  by  Solomon, 
though  in  the  thirtieth  and  thirty-first  chapters  the  proverbs 
of  Agur  and  Lemuel  are  inserted.  Ecclesiastes  and  Solo- 
mon's Song  are  undoubtedly  by  Solomon. 

58.  IV.  The  Seventeen  Prophetical  Books.  These  writ- 
ings are  divided  into  two  kinds — viz. 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE.  27 

I.  The  Five  Prophetical  Books  (including  Lamentations)  of 
the  four  Greater  Prophets — viz.  Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
(Prophecies  and  Lamentations),  Ezekiel,  and  Daniel. 

II.  The  Twelve  Prophetical  Books  of  the  Twelve  Minor 
Prophets — viz.  HosEA,  Joel,  Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah,  Mi- 
CAH,  Nahum,  Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Haggai,  Zecha- 

RIAH,  MaLACHI. 

59.  The  Fourteen  Apocryphal  Books — aTroKpvTCTO)^  i.  e.  to 
hide — which  comprise  1  and  2  Esdras,  Tobit,  Judith, 
Eest  of  Esther,  Wisdom  of  Solomon,  Ecclesiasticus, 
Baruch,  Song  of  the  Three  Children,  Bel  and  the 
Dragon,  Prayer  of  Manasses,  and  1  and  2  Maccabees. 
The  history  of  these  books  will  be  found  in  the  Connection, 
sect.  103,  et  seq.  They  are  of  doubtful  origin,  and  conse- 
quently not  included  in  our  canon  of  Scripture,  though  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  by  the  authority  of  the  Council  of 
Trent,  admits  them  as  canonical.  (See  "Apocryphal  Books," 
Con.,  sects.  103-117.) 

60.  Original  Language  of  the  Old  Testament. — The  Old 
Testament  is  written  in  Hebrew,  excepting  some  chapters  of 
Ezra  and  Daniel,  which  are  in  Chaldee,  the  Jews  having  be- 
come more  familiar  with  the  Chaldee  than  the  Hebrew  during 
the  Babylonian  captivity.  There  are,  however,  two  editions 
of  the  Pentateuch — viz.  the  Samaritan  and  the  Hebrew. 
The  Samaritan  is  written  in  the  ancient  Hebrew  character, 
and  has  been  preserved  by  the  Samaritans  distinct  from  the 
other  ever  since  the  Babylonian  captivity,  "  for  the  Jews  had 
no  dealings  with  the  Samaritans."  The  comparison  of  the 
tw^o  has  been  found  useful  in  correcting  the  errors  of  tran- 
scribers. 

61.  The  Septuagint. — This  ancient  Greek  version  was  orig- 
inally made  for  the  use  of  the  Egyptian  Jews,  and  called 
Septuagint — septuaginta,  i.  e.  seventy — because,  according  to  the 
tradition  of  one  Aristeas,  which  is  now  generally  rejected,  it 
was  supposed  to  have  been  made  in  seventy-two  daj-s,  by 
seventy  elders,  or  learned  Jew^s,  who  had  been  sent  by  the 
Jewish  high  priest  Eleazar  to  Alexandria  at  the  request  of 
Ptolemy  Pliiladelphus,  king  of  Egypt.  It  is  also  called  the 
Alexandrian  version,  from  having  been  executed  at  Alexan- 
dria. Some  say  that  the  seventy  elders  were  shut  up  in  the 
isle  of  Pharos,  and  completed  their  task  in  seventy-two  days, 
while  Demetrius  Phalerus,  the  king's  chief  librarian,  tran- 
scribed it  from  their  dictation.  Others  say  that  the  seventy, 
being  shut  up  in  separate  cells,  wrote  each  a  separate  trans- 
lation, and  all  were  afterward  found  to  exactly  coincide  in 
words  and  sentiment. 

This  version  was  most  probably  made  during  the  joint 
reigns  of  Ptolemy  Lagus  and  his  son  Ptolemy  Philadelphus, 


28  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

about  B.  c.  285  or  286  (see  Con.,  sect.  12),  and  the  introduc- 
tion of  Coptic  or  pure  Egyptian  words  and  the  rendering  of 
Hebrew  words  in  the  Egyptian  manner  clearly  prove  that 
the  translators  were  natives  of  Egypt ;  whilst  the  difference 
of  style  and  ability  shows  that  this  version  was  the  work 
not  of  one,  but  of  several  individuals. 

The  Septuagint  gradually  acquired  the  highest  authority 
amongst  the  Jews  of  Palestine,  and  subsequently  amongst 
the  Christians,  and  all  the  quotations  in  the  New  Testament 
from  the  Old  are  taken  from  it.  It  was,  however,  abandoned 
by  the  Jewish  synagogue  about  the  first  century  after  Christ. 
It  is  still  employed  by  the  Greek  and  other  Christian  churches. 

62.  The  Vulgate. — This  was  an  ancient  Latin  version  of  the 
Septuagint  and  Greek  New  Testament,  made  in  the  early  part 
of  the  second  century,  and  called  the  Vettjs  Itala,  or  Old 
Italic,  but  its  author  is  unknown.  In  the  fourth  century, 
Jerome  commenced  revising  this  old  Italic  translation,  but 
before  it  was  completed  he  undertook  and  finished  a  new 
Latin  version  of  the  Bible,  which  gradually  acquired  so  great 
an  authority  in  Western  Europe  that  it  has  been  exclusively 
adopted  by  the  Eomish  Church  ever  since  the  seventh  cen- 
tury. Some  parts  only  of  Jerome's  revision  of  the  Old  Italic 
version  have  been  preserved,  but  his  Latin  translation,  under 
the  name  of  Latin  Vulgate,  was  at  length  pronounced  to  be 
authentic  by  the  Council  of  Trent  in  the  sixteenth  century, 
and  ordered  to  be  exclusively  used  in  the  service  of  the  Eomish 
Church.  Several  revisions  of  the  Latin  Vulgate  have  been 
since  undertaken  by  learned  men,  which  were  rendered  ne- 
cessary from  the  errors  of  copyists  and  the  occasional  inter- 
mixture of  the  Old  Italic  Yersion  with  Jerome's  Latin  Vulgate. 
Of  these  revisions,  the  most  celebrated  is  that  by  Pope  Sixtus 
v.,  which  was  published  at  Rome  in  1590,  but  suppressed 
by  Clement  VIII.,  whose  authentic  edition  appeared  in 
1592. 

63.  English  Translations. — No  complete  version  of  all  the 
Scriptures  appears  to  have  been  made  in  Saxon,  though  Bede 
translated  certain  parts,  and  other  Saxon  versions  still  exist 
of  the  most  important  portions. 

7%e  First  English  translation  known  to  be  extant  was  made 
by  an  unknown  individual  about  1290;  of  this  there  are 
but  two  manuscript  copies  preserved — one  in  the  Bodleian 
Library,  and  the  other  in  Christ  Church  College  Library, 
Oxford. 

Joh?i  de  Trevisa,  about  a  century  after,  is  said  by  Caxton  to 
have  translated  the  whole  Bible  into  English ;  but  this  is  un- 
certain. 

John  WicMiffe,  about  the  same  time — viz.  1380 — either  trans- 
lated the  whole  Bible  from  the  Latin  Vulgate,  or  collected 


INTRODUCTORY    OUTLmE.  29 

previous  translations  which  completed  an  English  Bible.     His 
version  of  the  New  Testament  has  been  often  published. 

William  Tyndale,  in  1526,  printed  his  English  version  of  the 
New  Testament.  Two  years  after,  he  also  printed  a  trans- 
lation of  the  Pentateuch.  He  was  martyred  at  Antwerp  in 
1536. 

Miles  Cover  dale,  in  1535,  printed  at  Zurich  the  j^rs^  complete 
English  translation  of  the  Bible,  composed  of  Tyndale's  versions, 
as  far  as  they  went,  and  his  own. 

John  Rogers,  in  1537,  having  previously  assisted  Tyndale, 
now  edited  a  Bible  (probably  at  Hamburg)  under  the  as- 
sumed name  of  Thomas  Matthews;  his  Bible  is  therefore 
generally  called  Matthews'  Bible.  This  translation  was  re- 
vised by  Oranmer  and  Coverdale,  and  printed  in  London, 
1539,  in  large  folio,  and  from  this  w^as  called  the  Great 
Bible. 

The  Geneva  Bible  was  published  between  1557  and  1560,  at 
Geneva,  being  a  new  version  by  Coverdale,  Knox,  Goodman, 
and  others,  with  short  annotations.  The  New  Testament  in 
this  Bible  was  the  first  one  divided  into  verses. 

The  Bishops'  Bible  was  published  in  1568,  with  two  prefaces 
by  Archbishop  Parker,  who  employed  several  critics  to  make 
the  translation,  amongst  whom  were  eight  bishops ;  hence  it 
was  called  the  Bishops'  Bible.  This  Bible  was  read  in  churches, 
but  the  Geneva  was  preferred  in  families. 

The  present  Authorized  English  Version  was  pub- 
lished in  1611.  At  the  Hampton  Court  Conference,  in  1603, 
several  objections  were  made  to  the  Bishops'  Bible,  and,  in 
1604,  James  I.  issued  a  commission  to  fifty-four  of  the  most 
eminent  divines  of  both  universities  to  undertake  a  new  ver- 
sion. This  was  not  commenced  until  1607,  when  seven  of 
the  divines  had  died  and  only  forty-seven  were  living.  The 
forty-seven  survivors  ^vere  now  divided  into  six  committees — 
two  at  Oxford,  two  at  Cambridge,  and  two  at  Westminster — 
and  each  had  a  certain  portion  assigned  it.  In  1610  the 
great  work  was  completed,  and  then  revised  by  a  committee 
of  six  of  the  translators,  and  finally  reviewed  by  Bishop 
Bilson  and  Dr.  Smith ;  the  latter  prefixed  the  Arguments 
and  wrote  the  Preface.  The  whole  was  printed  and  pub- 
lished in  1611. 

64.  Division  into  Chapters  and  Verses. — The  invention  of 
chapters  has  been  ascribed  to  both  Archbishop  Lanfranc  and 
Stephen  Langton,  but  the  real  author  was  Cardinal  Hugo  de 
Sancto  Caro,  who,  having  projected  a  concordance  to  the 
Latin  Vulgate  about  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
divided  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  into  chapters,  the 
same  as  we  now  have.  These  chapters  he  subdivided  into 
smaller  portions,  which  he  distinguished  by  the  letters  A,  B, 
3* 


30  INTRODUCTORY    OUTLINE. 

C,  D,  etc.  In  the  fifteentli  century  Eabbi  Mordecai  Nathan 
made  a  Hebrew  concordance  on  the  same  plan,  and  adopted 
the  cardinal's  divisions.  The  introduction  of  verses  into  the 
printed  editions  of  the  Hebrew  Bible  was  made  by  Athias, 
an  Amsterdam  Jew,  in  1661,  and  into  the  Greek  by  Robert 
Stephens  in  1551.  The  first  English  New  Testament  with 
verses  appeared  at  Geneva  in  1557,  and  the  first  English 
Bible  so  printed  was  also  executed  at  Geneva,  in  1560.  The 
Bishops'  Bible,  and  subsequently  the  Authorized  Version,  were 
also  divided  into  chapters  and  verses. 


JEWISH   MONTHS. 


The  Jews  had  two  principal  kinds  of  years,  tlie  Eccledas- 

tical  and  the  Oivil.  i.\.    a  „*.  Ac.^ 

1.  The  Ecclesiastical  or  Sacred  Year  began  on  the  first  day 
of  the  month  Nimn,  corresponding  to  about  the  middle  ot 
March,  this  being  the  time  when  the  Jfws  departed  out  ot 
Effvpt.  (See  sect.  97.)  From  this  month  iV^isari  or  ^6i6,  the 
Jews  computed  their  feasts,  and  the  prophets  also  occasion- 
ally dated  their  oracles  and  visions.     ^        ^         ^   .  ,, 

II  The  Civil  Year  began  on  the  first  day  of  the  month 
Tisrl  from  a  traditionary  supposition  that  this  was  the  date 
of  the  creation  of  the  world.  By  this  year  the  Jews  com- 
puted their  jubilees  and  dated  their  contracts,  the  births  ot 
their  children,  and  the  reigns  of  their  kings. 

Months  of  the  Ecclesiastical  and  Civil  years  compared 
with  our  months. 

Ecclesiastical  Year.  ^^^  ^'^i!^  ^T"  A       'l 

1    NisanorAbib,  7.  part  of  March  and  April. 

2.  Jyar  or  Zif,  8.       "      April  and  May. 

3.  Sivan,  9.  May  and  June. 
9.  Kisleu  or  Chisleu,  10.       "      June  and  July. 

10  Thebet  H-       "      July  and  August. 

11  Spbat  '  12.       "      August  and  September. 
\\  Adar  1.       "      September  and  October. 

4   Thaiimuz  2.       "      October  and  November. 

T  ^^a"^°^^^>  3^       u      November  and  December. 

^*  T^i 'i  4        "      December  and  January. 

n    rp.  ri  5.       "      January  and  February. 

8'.  Marchesvan,  6.       "      February  and  March. 

As  the  Jewish  years  were  lunar  years,  and  therefore  con- 
sisted of  only  354  days  and  8  hours,  they  were  accommodated 
to  solar  years  by  the  addition  of  a  month  at  the  end  of  the 
Ecclesiastical  year,  and  this  intercalary  rnonth,  which  came 
after  the  month  Adar,  was  called  Ke-Adar,  or  the  Second 

Adar. 

31 


CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  EVENTS 
RECORDED  IN  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


1st  Period. 

Patriarchal  State. — From  the  Creation  to 
the  Death  of  Joseph. 

B.C.  4004-1635— about  2369  years. 

B.C. 

The  creation 4004 

Enoch's  translation .3017 

Noah  born 2948 

Building  of  the  ark  commenced..  2469 

The  deluge 2349-2348 

Confusion  of  tongues about  22.34 

Noah's  death  (aged  950) 1998 

Abram  born 1996 

Call  of  Abram 1921 

Ishmael  born 1910 

Sodom  and  Gomorrah  destroyed..  1898 

Isaac  born 1897 

offered  by  Abraham 1872 

marries  Rebekah 1857 

Esau  and  Jacob  born 18.37 

Abraham  died  (aged  175) 1822 

Ishmael  died 1773 

Jacob  goes  to  Padan-aram 1760 

marries  Leah  and  Rachel....  1753 

Joseph  born 1745 

Jacob  leaves  Laban 1739 

Joseph  sold  to  Potiphar 1729 

Isaac  died  (aged  180) 1716 

Joseph  interprets  Pharaoh's  two 

dreams 1715 

Seven  years'  plenty 1715-1708 

Seven  years'  famine 1T08-1701 

First  visit  of  Joseph's  brethren..  1707 
Second  visit         "  "  ..  1706 

Israelites  migrate  to  Egypt 1706 

Jacob  died  (age  147) 1689 

Joseph  died  (aged  110) 1635 

2d  Period. 

Nomad  State. — JFYom  the  Death  of  Joseph 

to  the  Death  of  Moses. 

B.  c.  1635-1451— about  184  years. 

Birth  of  Moses 1571 

Flies  toMidian 1531 

The  exodus 1491 

Tabernacle  completed 1490 


B.C. 

Rebellion  of  Korah 1471 

Moses  and  Aaron  sin 1453 

Aaron  died 1452 

Moses  died  (aged  120) 1451 

3d  Period. 

A  Federative  Republic — From  the  Death 
of  Moses  to  the  Anointing  of  Saul. 

B.C.  1451-1095. 

Passage  of  the  Jordan 1451 

Canaan  divided  among  the  twelve 

tribes 1444 

Joshua  died 1426 

Judges 1402-1095 

For  the  chronology  of  this  very  ob- 
scure period,  seep.  1U8. 
Ruth about  1322-1312 

4th  Period. 

The  Single  Monarchy. 
B.C.  1095-975. 

1.  SAiiLking 1095 

David  anointed 1063 

Slays  Goliath 1063 

Saul  committed  suicide  (reign- 
ed forty  years) 1056 

2.  David  king 1056 

Reigned  at  Hebron ;  1056-1043 

over  alllsrael....  1048-1015 

3.  Solomon  king 1015 

Building  of  the  temple 1012-1005 

Dedication 1005 

Rehoboam  king 975 

5th  Period. 

The  Divided  Monarchies  ofjudah  and  Is- 
rael,  and  seventy  years'  Captivity. 

B.C.  975-536. 

Revolt  of  the  ten  tribes 975 

Kingdom  of  Israel 975-721 

Kingdom  of  Judah 975-588 

Jonah  prophesied about  840 

Amos  and  Hosea 800 

I  33 


34 


CHRONOLOGICAL   TABLE. 


Isaiah 758-698 

Joel about  800 

Micah 758-699 

Israel  caiTied  into  captivity  by  Shal- 

manener 721 

Nahum 720 

Zephanlah 640 

Jeremiah 628-586 

Habakkuk 612 

Nebuchadnezzar  took  Jerusalem  in 
the  reign  of  Jehoiakihi,  from 
which  date — viz.  B.  c.  6U6,  to 
the  edict  of  Cyrus,  B.  c.  536 — is 
calculated  the  seventy  years' 
captivity. 
The  seventy  years'  captivity. ..606-536 
Jerusalem  and  the   Temple 
taken  and  burnt,  and  ju- 

DAH  CARRIED  AWAY  CAPTIVE     588 

Daniel  prophesied 606-534 

Ezekiel  prophesied 595-536 

Obadiah  prophesied 588-583 

See  also  tables  at  p.  166,  and  p.  266. 

6tli  Period. 

From  the  Edict  of  Cyrus,  B.  c.  536,  to  the 
Taking  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  a.  d.  70. 
Edict  of  Cyrus  and  return  of  the 

Jews 536 

Second  temple  begun 535 


B.C. 

Second  temple  finished 515 

Governorship  of  Ezra 458-445 

Nehemiah's  first  administra- 
tion   445-433 

Nehemiah's    second  adminis- 
tration   428-420 

CloseofOld  Testament  history 420 

Alexander  the  Great  at  Jerusa- 
lem   332 

His  death 323 

Palestine      under      the      Ptole- 
mies   300-202 

Septuagint  made about  280 

Palestine    under    the    Seleu- 

cidte 202-166 

Antiochus    Epiphanes    profaned 

the  temple 170 

Revolt  of  Mattathias 167 

Palestine  under  the  Maccabees  166-37 

Judas  Maccabaeus 166-161 

Feast  of  dedication  instituted 165 

Apocryphal  history  ends 135 

Samaritan  temple  on  Mount  Geri- 
zim  destroyed  by  John  Hyr- 

canus 129 

Judsp.a  subjected  to  Pompey 63 

Crassus  plundered  the  temple 54 

Caesar  assassinated 44 

Herod  king 37-3 

Rebuilds  the  temple 19 

Jesus  Christ  born 4 


THE  PENTATEUCH. 


[HENTE,  "FIVE,"  AND  TEYX02,  "A  VOLUME,"  THE  FIVE  BOOKS 
OF  THE  LAW— VIZ.  GENESIS*  EXODUS,  LEVITICUS,  NUMBERS, 
AND  DEUTERONOMY;  ALL  WRITTEN  BY  MOSES.— See  Intro- 
duction.] 


GENESIS. 

(Teveaic,  " gen&^ation" — the  generation  of  all  things.) 

PATRIARCHAL   HISTORY   FROM   THE   BIRTH   OF  ADAM   TILL   THE   DEATH   OP 
JOSEPH.    B.  C.  4004   TO   1635.— ABOUT   2369  YEARS. 


ANALYSIS. 

I.  History  of  the  World  prior  to  Abraham. 

Antediluvian  I*eHod,  4004:-234S.—Tiiii  creation, 
B.  C.  4004.  -  Plurality  of  Persons  in  the  Godhead. — God  blesses 
man.— The  garden  of  Eden. — The  fall. — Promise  of  a  Redeemer. — • 
Murder  of  Abel. — Posterity  of  Adam  through  Cain. — Posterity  of 
Adam  through  Seth.— Building  of  the  ark,  2469-2349.— The  del- 
uge, 2349-2348. 

Setflpnent  after  the  Flood,  234S-1996,— Noah's 
prophecies  concerning  liis  sons;  dies,  1998. — Posterity  of  Noah, 
fulfilment  of  his  prophecies,  etc. — Building  of  Babel,  2234. — 
Generations  from  Noah  to  Abram. — Haran,  Nahor,  and  Abram. 

page  36 
II.  Lives  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Joseph. 

Abrayrif  li)i)(>-lS22,  lived  175  years, — Early  life  and 
call  of  Abram,  b.  c.  1996-1921. — Journeys  through  Canaan  to  Egypt, 
1921. — Returns  to  Canaan  and  encamps  at  Mamre,  whilst  Lot  dwells 
at  Sodom,  1918. — Inhabitants  of  Canaan. — Abram  rescues  Lot  from 
captivity,  1913. — Character  of  Melchizedek. — God  promises  Abram 
a  son  ;  Islimael  born,  1910. — God  renews  his  covenant  with  Abram, 
1898. — Institutes  circumcision  and  changes  Abram  and  Sarai's 
names,  1898. — Abraham  visited  by  three  angels;  intercedes  for 
Sodom. — Destruction  of  Sodom  and  origin  of  Moab  and  Amnion. 
— Abi-aham  removes  to  Gerar. 

35 


Ob  GENESIS.  B.C.  4004. 

Isaac,  1897-1716,  lived  180  years.— Isaac  born.— 
1897. — Hagar  and  Ishmael  exiled,  1892. — Digging  of  Beersheba, 
1891. — Abraham  tempted  to  offer  Isaac,  1872. — Isaac  a  type  of 
Christ. — Death  of  Sarah,  1860. — Isaac  marries  Kebekah,  1857. 
— Abraham  marries  Keturah,  1853. 

Jacob,  1837-1689,  lived  147  years.— J acoh  and  Esau 
lorn  to  Isaac,  1837. — Abraham  dies,  1822. — Esau  sells  his  birth- 
right, 1805. — Famine  in  Canaan;  Isaac  leaves  Mamre  for  Gerar 
and  deceives  Abimelech,  1804. — Esau  marries  two  Hittite  women, 
1796. — Islimael  dies,  1773. — Isaac  blesses  Jacob  instead  of  Esau, 
1760. — Jacob  goes  to  Laban  at  Haran ;  his  dream. — Esau  marries 
Mahalath. — Jacob  marries  Leah  and  Rachel,  1753. — His  family. — 
Makes  a  new  covenant  with  Laban,  1745. — Leaves  Laban,  1739. — 
His  vision  at  Mahanaim  and  message  to  Esau. — Wrestles  with  a 
MAN  at  Peniel. — Meeting  with  Esau. — Resides  at  Succoth  and 
Shechem;  slaughter  of  the  Shechemites,  1739-1732. — Buries  the 
idols  of  his  household  and  goes  to  Bethel. — Death  of  Eachel ; 
birth  of  Benjamin,  1732.— Reuben's  incest  with  Bilhah. — Jacob 
resides  with  Isaac  at  Mamre,  1729. 

Joseph,  174=5-1635,  lived  llO  years. — Joseph  ex- 
cites his  brethren's  envy,  and  sold  to  the  Ishmaelites,  1729. — Ju- 
dah  marries  a  Canaanite;  his  incest  with  his  daughter-in-law. — 
Joseph  sold  to  Potiphar  and  imprisoned,  1729-1715. — [Isaac  died, 
1716.] — Joseph  interprets  the  dreams  of  Pharaoh's  butler  and  baker, 
1720-1718. — Interprets  Pharaoh's  two  dreams,  1715. — Made  chief 
ruler  of  Egypt,  and  marries  Asenath. — Seven  years'  plenty,  1715- 
1708;  birth  of  Manasseh,  1712;  of  Ephraim,  1711. — Seven  years' 
famine,  1708-1701 ;  first  visit  of  Joseph's  brethren,  1707  ;  second 
visit  of  Joseph's  brethren,  1706. — Israelites  migrate  to  Egypt,  1706. 
— Policy  of  Joseph  during  the  famine,  1702,  1701. — Dying  acts  and 
prophecies  of  Jacob,  1689. — Fulfilment  of  Jacob's  prophecies.— Ja- 
cob's death  and  burial,  1689. — Joseph  again  forgives  his  breth- 
ren.— Death  of  Joseph,  1635. — Joseph  a  type  of  Christ. — Scrip- 
tural meaning  of  a  type. — Typical  intimations  of  the  Messiah  in 
Genesis. — Prophetical  intimations  and  their  fulfilment. — Names, 
and  meanings  of  the  names,  of  the  principal  persons  mentioned 
in  Genesis page  44. 


SUMMAKY. 

I.  History  of  the  World  prior  to  Abraham. 

Antediluvian        \    ™«  Creation,  B.  a  4004.— In  the 

history,  b.  c.     beffinniiiff*  God  created  the  heavens  and  the 

4004-2348.  ^^^^j^_ 

*  At  present  there  are  some  apparent  discrepancies  between  geology 
and  astronomy  and  the  sacred  writings  ;  but  the  Bible  was  not  intended 
to  instruct  mankind  in  the  sciences,  and  therefore  only  alludes  to  things 


^7 
B.C.4004.  GENESIS   I.,   II. 

1 3t  aay-LiGHT,  and  the  separation  of  day  from  night. 
^2d  day-FiRM^MENT  or  Air,  and  separation  of  the 

°"3T/;;;-m  ".,  HKKBS,  and  TREKS,  and  separa- 
tion  of  the  earth  from  the  sea. 

4th  day— Sun,  moon,  and  stars. 

5th  day— Fishes  and  birds. 

fith  dav — Animals  and  man.        ^   ,  ,  .  ,       r^^„ 

^^j;  day-God  rested,  and  sanctified  his  work.     Gen. 

''i'piralifyof  Persons  in  the  Godhead.-Behre 

God  «ea  ed  man  he  said,  "Let  us  make  man  m  our  nn- 
a°e  after  o*tukeness;  and  let  them  have  domimon  over 
f^!'fi  l!  of  the  sea  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  mr,  and  over 
^e  "  Indt-'er  all  the  earth,  and  ove.;^every^^^^^^^^^^ 
ing  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth.  ..^^"^  ^^^^^ 
sbns  ««  and  our  distinctly  imply  a  plurality  of  Persons 

'""toff^^^L  Man.-Mter  God  had  created  man 
male  and  female,  he  blessed  them,  saying,  '  Be  fiuittul 
Tnd  multirfy    and  replenish  the  earth,  and  subdue  it: 
tnd  Ci Tminion  ov'er  the  fish  of  «-  sea  and  o.ei;^Ae 
fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  every  living  thing  that  movetU 

"TS:««t^lnS'^<.'er-G;d,having  created^ 
Placed  MnT  hi  the  garden  of  Eden  to  cultivate  the  trees 
Td  sub^^t  upon  the  fruit,  but  under  an  express  com- 

as  tbey  appear  to  the  ^nin^-^^^^;?^^-^  ^  ST^-^^^^IS! 
leaving  the  physical  ^^e^^^-^Jor  ^^^  ^f =htmi  ^^^^^^^^^^     ^^ 

Geology,  however,  substanially  agrees  wil  ^.^^  ^^^. 

prove^tbe  successive  creauo     of  ^^^^^^^^^^^ 

it  shows  that  every  part  of  ^be  eart^  is  m^  it  points  to  a  beginning, 

occurring  at  one  time  or  at  °^^ny  times    ^nay  ^^^  ^ 

when  neither  plants  ^^^..^^^^J^J.^^.^ed^^^^^  the  fiat  of  our  Crea- 

tures and  geology  are  ^/^«f  J^.^^/^f^P"  ^'y  systems  into  being.  Conf. 
tor  first  called  our  earth  ^^^^  ,^^^;  P^"' g^i^^^^  Eeconciliation  of  Ge- 
Silliman's  Introductxon  to   Geology,    rye  ornitu  d 

oloqv  and  Scripture,  etc.  „„„a=   nf  tbft  Sahbath  and  of 


4 


S8  GENESIS   II.,   Ill, 


B.  c.  4004. 


wife  Eve,  "  the  mother  of  all  living."  Eden  was  watered 
by  four  rivers — viz.  the  Hiddekel,  Euphrates,  Pison,*  and 
Araxes.     Gen.  ii. 

5.  The  Fall, — After  this  the  serpent  tempted  Eve  to 
eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  she  prevailed  on  her  hus- 
band to  share  her  sin.  The  sentence  of  God  was  then 
pronounced  upon  the  criminals.  To  Adam  he  said, 
"  Cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake,  in  sorrow  shalt  thou 
eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life.  Thorns  also  and  this- 
tles shall  it  bring  forth  to  thee,  and  thou  shalt  eat  of  the 
herb  of  the  field.  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat 
bread  till  thou  return  unto  the  ground :  for  out  of  it  wast 
thou  taken ;  for  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou 
return."  To  Eve  he  said,  "  In  sorrow  shalt  thou  bring 
forth  children :  and  thy  desire  shall  be  to  thy  husband, 
and  he  shall  rule  over  thee."  The  tree  of  life  was  then 
guarded  by  flaming  cherubim,  lest  the  man  should  eat  of 
rt  and  live  for  ever,  and  Adam  and  Eve  were  clothed  by 
the  Almighty  with  coats  of  skins  and  expelled  from  Par- 
adise.    Gen.  iii. 

6.  JProniise  of  a  Itedeemer. — When  the  Almighty 
denounced  our  first  parents,  he  intimated  the  future  re- 
demption of  mankind.  To  the  serpent  he  said,  "  Thou 
art  cursed  above  all  cattle  :  upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go, 
and  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life.  And  I 
will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  ivoman,  and  between 
thy  seed  and  her  seed;  it  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heeU'  By  the  "  seed  of  the  woman  "  is 
meant  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  "  bruising  the  serpent's  head  " 
is   meant  that  Christ  w^ould  destroy  the  works  of  the 

pie  of  God,  and  the  latter  of  the  mystic  union  between  Christ  and  hia 
Church. 

*  The  attempts  to  discover  the  site  of  the  garden  of  Eden  have  been 
hitherto  numerous  and  contradictory,  and  in  many  cases  so  ridiculous 
as  to  make  all  modern  researches  appear  vain  and  useless.  The  Tigris 
and  Euphrates  have  now  been  turned  from  their  course,  and  their 
ancient  channels  are  unknown,  as  is  proved  from  local  traditions  and 
Arabian  geographers.  Of  the  two  most  probable  conjectures,  one  fixes 
the  terrestrial  Paradise  in  Armenia,  between  the  sources  of  the  Eu- 
phrates, Tigris,  Phasis,  and  Araxes,  and  the  other  identifies  the  laiul 
of  Eden  with  the  country  between  Baghdad  and  Bassorah,  which  com- 
prehended ancient  Babylonia;  and  they  only  contend  that  the  garden 
stood  in  some  part  of  this  territory,  where  au  ancient  junction,  and 
subsequent  separation,  of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris  took  place.  For  a 
further  inquiry,  see  Kitto's  Chajiter  on  the  Site  of  Paradise. 


B.C.  4004.  GENESIS    IV.  39 

devil.  "  When  the  fuhiess  of  time  was  come,  God  sent 
forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman."  Gah  iv.  4.  "  The  God 
of  peace  shall  bruise  Satan  under  your  feet  shortly." 
Rom.  xvi.  20. 

7.  3Iurder  of  Abel. — Two  sons  were  now  born  to 
Adam  and  Eve ;  Cain,  the  elder,  became  a  tiller  of  the 
ground,  whilst  Abel,  the  younger,  was  a  keeper  of  sheep. 
After  a  time  the  two  brothers  offered  sacrifices  to  God, 
Cain  bringing  a  portion  of  the  fruit  of  the  earth,  and 
Abel  the  firstlings  of  his  flocks.  The  offering  of  Abel 
was  alone  accepted  by  Jehovah,  but  he  fell  a  victim  to 
the  envy  of  Cain ;  and  the  agonized  parents,  who  had 
brought  sin  into  the  world,  now  saw  its  terrible  conse- 
quences in  the  fratricide  by  their  first-born.  Gen.  iv.  1- 
15.  "As  by  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and 
death  by  sin."  Rom.  v.  12. 

8.  Posterity  of  Adam  throiigli  Cain, — There  is  no 
Mosaic  account  of  the  births  or  deaths  of  the  posterity 
of  Cain,  and  only  the  heads  of  families  appear  to  be  men- 
tioned. 

1.  Cain  begat  Enoch,  and  built  a  city  after  his  name. 

2.  Enoch  begat  Irad. 

3.  Irad  begat  Mehujael. 

4.  Mehujael  begat  Methusael. 

5.  Methusael  begat  Lamech. 

6.  Lamech  married  two  wives  : 

1st.  Adah,  mother  of — 1.  Jahal,  the  father  of  dwellers  in 
tents  and  cattle-grazers ;  2.  Jubal,  the  father  of  instru- 
mental musicians. 

2d.  ZiLLAH,  mother  of — 1.  Tubal- Cain,  \yho  instructed 
artificers  in  brass  and  iron ;  2.  Naamah,  a  daughter.  Gen. 
iv.  16-23. 

9.  Posterity  of  Adam  through  Seth. — There  were 
ten  generations  from  Adam  to  Koah  inclusive — viz. 

1.  Adam,  4004-3074.  Lived  930  years ;  begat  Seth 
in  his  130th  year,  from  whom  Christ  was  descended. 

2.  Seth,  3874-2962.  Lived  912  years;  begat  Enos  in 
his  105th  year. 

3.  Enos,  3769-2864.  Lived  905  years ;  begat  Cainan 
in  his  90th  year. 

4.  Cainan,  3679-2769.  Lived  910  years ;  begat  Ma- 
halaleel  in  his  70th  year. 


40  GENESIS   V.  B.  c.  4004-2349. 

5.  Mahalaleel,  3609-2714.  Lived  895  years  ;  begat 
Jared  in  his  65th  year. 

6.  Jared,  3544-2582.  Lived  962  years ;  begat  Enoch 
in  his  16 2d  year. 

7.  Enoch,  3382-3017!  Lived  365  years;  begat  Me- 
thuselah in  his  65th  year.  "  Walked  with  God,  and  he 
was  not,  for  God  took  him."  Gen.  v.  24.  "By  faith 
Enoch  was  translated  that  he  should  not  see  death  ;  .  .  . 
for  before  his  translation  he  had  this  testimony,  that  he 
pleased  God."  Heb.  xi.  5.  Enoch  also  prophesied  God's 
judgments  on  sinners,  saying,  "  Behold,  the  Lord  cometh 
with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints,  to  execute  judgment  upon 
all."  Jude  14,  15. 

8.  Methuselah,  3317-2348.  Lived  969  years;  begat 
Lamech  in  his  187th  year.  The  oldest  of  all  men ;  he 
was  contemporary  with  Adam  for  243  years,  and  Avith 
Noah  for  600  years. 

9.  Lamech,  3130-2353.  Lived  777  years;  begat 
Noah  in  his  18  2d  year.  He  predicted  the  blessing. 
Gen.  V.  29. 

10.  Noah,  2948-1998.  Lived  950  years.  In  his  500th 
year  he  had  begotten  three  sons — Shem,  Ham,  and  Ja- 
pheth.  Gen.  v.  3-32;  ix.  28,  29. 

10.  Building  of  the  Ark,  24=69-234:9,— l^hQ  earth 
was  now  corrupt  and  filled  with  violence;  the  sons  of 
God  married  the  daughters  of  men,*  and  the  Almighty 
threatened  to  destroy  mankind  by  a  deluge.  But  Noah 
was  a  just  man  and  "  a  preacher  of  righteousness  "  (2 
Pet.  ii.  5),  and,  having  thus  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of 
Jehovah,  he  was  desired  to  build  an  ark  for  the  deliver- 
ance of  himself  and  his  family.  "  By  faith  Noah,  being 
warned  of  God  of  things  not  seen  as  yet,  moved  with  fear, 
prepared  an  ark  to  the  saving  of  his  house."  Heb.  xi.  7. 
"  The  long-suffering  of  God  waited  while  the  ark  was  pre- 
paring." 1  Pet.  iii.  20.  Ample  directions  were  given  by 
the  Almighty  for  this  undertaking.  The  ark  was  to  be 
made  of  gopher-wood,  and  to  be  300  cubits  [547  feet] 
long,  50  cubits  [91  feet]  wide,  and  30  cubits  [54 J  feet] 
high,  and  to  have  three  stories.     Noah  was  engaged  upon 

*  By  the  sons  of  God  were  probably  meant  the  descendants  of  Seth, 
who  practised  the  worship  of  Jehovah.  These  seem  to  have  intermar- 
ried with  the  rest  of  mankind,  or  the  descendants  of  Cain. 


B.  c.  2349-1998.  GENESIS    VI.-IX.  41 

it  for  one  hundred  and  tAventy  years,  during  which  he  con- 
tinued to  preach  repentance,  but  in  vain.  In  his  six  hun- 
dredth year  [b.  c.  2349]  the  ark  was  completed,  and  he  en- 
tered it,  with  his  wife  and  his  three  sons  and  their  wives, 
together  with  one  pair  of  every  species  of  unclean  animals 
and  seven  of  each  clean  species.  This  ark  was  a  type  of 
our  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ.  Gen.  vi. 

11.  Tlie  Deluge,  2349,  2348, — On  the  seventh  day 
after  entering  the  ark  the  flood  began,  and  the  rain  fell  for 
forty  days  and  forty  nights.  The  waters  prevailed  for  one 
hundred  and  fifty  days,  and  covered  the  highest  hills; 
every  land-animal  was  destroyed ;  but  at  length  the  moun- 
tain-tops were  seen,  and  the  ark  rested  on  Ararat  in  Ar- 
menia, between  the  Black  Sea  and  the  Caspian.  After 
successively  sending  forth  a  raven  and  a  dove,  IsFoah  at 
length  left  the  ark,  having  remained  in  it  for  one  year 
and  seventeen  days.  The  lonely  family  then  sacrificed 
to  Jehovah,  and  God  blessed  Noah  and  his  sons,  and 
promised  that  for  the  future  neither  the  order  of  the  sea- 
sons nor  of  day  and  night  should  cease ;  but  he  forbade 
them  to  eat  flesh  with  the  blood  in  it,  or  to  shed  the  blood 
of  their  fellow-man :  "  Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by 
man  shall  his  blood  be  shed ;  for  in  the  image  of  God 
made  he  man."  Finally,  the  Almighty  set  his  rainbow 
in  the  clouds  in  token  of  this  everlasting  covenant.  Gen. 
vii. ;  viii. ;  ix.  1-17.  Before  the  deluge  the  earth  was 
probably  watered  by  mist,  and  not  by  rain.  Gen.  ii. 
5,  6. 

12.  Noah  prophesies  concerning  7iis  settlement  af- 
Sons ;  dies,  1998. — Noah  now  became  a  *^^  *2"48-i996' 
husbandman   and   planted   a  vineyard,  but, 

having  drank  too  freely  of  the  wdne,  his  son  Ham,  the 
father  of  Canaan,  discovered  him  naked,  but  Shem  and 
Japheth  covered  him  with  a  mantle.  Noah,  on  awaking, 
discovered  what  had  been  done,  and  said  of  Canaan,  the 
son  of  Ham,  "  Cursed  be  Canaan ;  a  servant  of  servants 
shall  he  be  to  his  brethren ;"  of  Shem,  "  Blessed  be  the 
Lord  God  of  Shem ;  and  Canaan  shall  be  his  servant ;" 
and  of  Japheth,  "  God  shall  enlarge  Japheth,  and  he 
shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem ;  and  Canaan  shall  be 
his  servant."  Noah  lived  three  hundred  and  fifty  years 
after  the  deluge,  and  died  B.  c.  1998.  Gen.  ix.  18-29. 
4* 


42  GENESIS   IX.  B.  c.  1998. 

13.  JPosterity  of  Noah,  and  fulfilment  of  his 
Prophecies, — The  three  sons  of  Noah  are  supposed  to 
have  been  the  progenitors  of  the  following  races,  in  whom 
the  patriarch's  prophecies  appear  to  have  been  fulfilled. 

14.  IsU  JapheiJi,  whose  posterity  appear  to  have  ex- 
tended to  Northern  Asia  and  Asia  Minor,  and  from  thence 
to  have  been  ultimately  impelled  into  Europe.  He  had 
seven  sons — viz. 

1.  GoMER,  father  of  the  Cimbri  or  Cimmerians. 


2.  Magog,     " 

(( 

Scythians  or  Tartars. 

3.  Madai,      " 

a 

Medes. 

4.  Javan,      " 

u 

Greeks. 

5.  Tubal,      " 

« 

Tibarenians,  on  the  coast  of 
Pontus. 

6.  Meshech, 

« 

Muscovites. 

7.   TiKAS, 

(( 

Thracians. 

The  prophecy  concerning  Japheth  was  thus  fulfilled  in  his  pos- 
terity occupying  vast  territories,  and  in  their  subjugation  of  Asia 
and  Africa,  by  which  they  dwelt  in  the  tents  of  Shem,  with  the 
descendants  of  Canaan  for  their  servants. 

15.  2d,  HatUf  whose  children  remained  in  chief  pos- 
session of  Mesopotamia ;  formed  settlements  at  the  head 
of  the  Persian  Gulf,  in  Arabia,  and  in  Canaan;  estab- 
lished the  old  empires  in  Assyria  and  Egypt;  and,  as 
their  numbers  multiplied,  advanced  into  Ethiopia  and 
other  remote  parts  of  the  African  peninsula.  He  had 
four  sons,  viz. 

1.  CusH,  father  of  the  Cushites  or  Ethiopians,  in  Ara- 

bia and  Africa. 

His  son  Nimrod  built  four  very  ancient  cities,  including  Babel, 
and  founded  the  ancient  empire  of  Assyria.  Asshur,  son  of  Shem, 
migrated  from  this  country,  and  built  Nineveh  and  three  other 
cities. 

2.  MiZRAiM,  father  of  the  Egyptians — ^literally,  the  two 

Egypts. 

3.  Phut,  "  "    Libyans. 

4.  Canaan,       "  "     Canaanites,  including  Phoe- 

nicians. 

The  prophecy  concerning  Ham  has  been  fulfilled  in  the  conquest 
of  Palestine  by  the  Hebrews,  and  the  past  and  present  degraded 
state  of  Africa. 


B.  c.  2446-2056.  GENESIS   X.,  XI.  43 

16.  3d,  Shem,  whose  descendants  gradually  spread 
over  the  east  and  north-east  of  the  Tigris.  He  had 
five  sons — viz. 

1.  Elam,  father  of  the  Elamites  or"  Elymseans. 

2.  AssHUR,   "         "      Assyrians. 

3.  Arphaxad,       "      Hebrews,  Ishmaelites,  and  other 

Abrahamic  nations. 

For  the  descent  of  Abraham  from 
Arphaxad  see  sect.  18. 

4.  LuD,         "         "      Lydians. 

5.  Aram,      "         "      Aramites  in  Syria  and  Mesopo- 

tamia. 

The  prophecy  concerning  Shem  was  fulfilled  in  the  Messiah 
being  born  of  his  posterity,  and  the  woi-ship  of  God  being  pre- 
served amongst  them.   Gen.  x.* 

17.  Building  of  Babel, — After  the  death  of  Noah 
the  Avhole  earth  was  of  one  language,  and  all  the  fami- 
lies journeyed  from  Armenia  in  the  east  to  a  plain  in 
the  land  of  Shinar,  near  Chaldea  or  the  Euphrates. 
Here  they  commenced  building  a  city  and  tower,  after- 
ward called  "Babel"  (/9a/SoAa>v) f — i.  e.  "confusion" — 
which  they  presumptuously  intended  should  reach  the 
heavens ;  but  God  confounded  their  language,  and  the 
generation  became  scattered.  Nimrod,  the  son  of  Gush, 
"  a  mighty  hunter  before  the  Lord,"  founded  the  king- 
dom of  Babel  in  the  fourth  generation,  or  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  years,  after  the  deluge.  Gen.  xi.  1-9. 

18.  Generatimis  from  Noah  to  Abra/ni,  2446- 
2056, — There  were  ten  generations  from  Noah  to  Abram 
inclusive — viz. 

1.  Shem,  2446-1846.  Lived  600  years;  begat  Ar- 
j)haxad  in  his  100th  year. 

*  There  are  many  dififerent  opinions  about  the  exact  tei-ritories  occu- 
pied and  nations  founded  by  the  several  branches  of  Noah's  descend- 
ants. The  account  in  the  text  appears  the  most  probable.  A  careful 
and  valuable  critical  review  of  the  table  of  nations  is  to  be  found  in 
Havernick's  Introduction  to  the  Pentateuch. 

t  The  building  of  this  city  is  one  of  the  earliest  recorded  facts  sub- 
sequent to  the  deluge.  According  to  secular  history  it  was  founded  by 
Belus,  and  afterward  enlarged  by  Ninus  and  Semiramis,  and  was  seated 
on  both  banks  of  the  Euphrates. 


44  GENESIS   XI.  B.  c.  1996-1921. 

2.  Arphaxad,  2346-1908.  Lived  438  years;  begat 
Salali  in  his  35th  year. 

3.  Salah,  2311-1878.  Lived  433  years ;  begat  Eber 
ill  his  30th  year. 

4.  Eber,  2281-1817.  Lived  464  years ;  begat  Peleg 
in  his  34th  year. 

5.  Peleg,  2247-2008.  Lived  239  years;  begat  Reu 
in  his  30th  year. 

6.  Reu,  2217-1978.  Lived  239  years;  begat  Serug  in 
his  32d  year. 

7.  Serug,  2185-1955.  Lived  230  years;  begat  Nahor 
in  his  30th  year. 

8.  Nahor,  2155-2007.  Lived  148  years;  begat  Terah 
in  his  29th  year. 

9.  Terah,  2126-1921.  Lived  205  years.  Lived  70 
years  (b.  c.  2056),  and  begat 

19.  10.  Haran,  Nahor,  and  Abram. — Though  Ha- 
ran  was  born  when  Terah  was  seventy  years  old — viz. 
b.  c.  2056 — Abram  could  not  have  been  born  before  b.  c. 
1996,  or  sixty  years  afterward.  Haran  died  before  Te- 
rah, leaving  one  son  and  two  daughters — viz.  1.  Lot;  2. 
MiLCAH,  who  married  her  uncle  Nahor ;  and  3.  Sarai  or 
IscAH,  who  married  her  uncle  Abram.  Gen.  xi.  10-27. 


II.  Lives  of  Abram,  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Joseph. 

Abram,  b.  c.  1996-1822;  aged  175  years. 
Isaac,  B.  c.  1897-1716;  aged  180  years. 
Jacob,  B.  c.  1837-1689;  aged  148  years. 
Joseph,  B.  c.  1745-1635;  aged  110  years. 


Patriarchal 


20.  Early  Life  and   Call  of  Abram , 

Mstor^f'^^'  1996-1921, — Abram,  Nahor,  and  Haran 
iml^m.'''  ^^^^  ^^™  *^  Terah,  in  Ur  of  Chaldea,*  and 
here  Haran  died.  At  Ur,  God  said  to  Abram, 
"  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and 
from  thy  father's  house,  into  a  land  that  I  will  show  thee." 

*  The  original  seat  of  the  Chaldeans  was  probably  in  the  mountains 
of  Armenia  and  Kurdistan,  whence  they  descended  into  the  plains  of 
Mesopotamia  and  Babylonia.  Ur  was  a  district  in  Northern  Mesopo- 
tamia occupied  by  the  Chaldees.  It  was  also  the  name  of  a  very  an- 
cient city,  subsequently  called  Edcssa,  which  formed  the  capital  of  Os- 
roene.     Haran  lay  farther  south,  on  the  road  toward  Palestine. 


B.  c.  1921-1918.  GENESIS   XI.-XIIL  45 

Accordingly,  Abram  aud  his  wife  Sarai,  his  father  Terah, 
and  his  nephew  Lot,  left  Ur  for  Canaan,  but  stopped  at 
Haran  in  Mesopotamia,  where  Terah  died,  b.  c.  1921. 
Joshua  appears  to  say  that  whilst  at  Ur  both  Abram 
and  his  father  were  idolaters :  "  Your  fathers  dwelt  on 
the  other  side  of  the  flood  in  old  time,  even  Terah,  the 
father  of  Abraham,  and  the  father  of  Nahor ;  and  they 
served  other  gods."  Josh.  xxiv.  2 ;  Gen.  xi.  28-32 ;  xii. 
1;  Acts  vii.  2,  3. 

21.  Journeys  through  Canaan  to  Egypt,  1921, — 
After  Terah's  death,  Abram,  who  was  now  75  years  old, 
departed,  under  divine  direction,  to  Canaan,  with  Sarai 
and  Lot,  God  having  said,  "  In  thee  shall  all  families  of 
the  earth  be  blessed."  Abram  passed  through  Sichem*  to 
the  plain  of  Moreh,t  where  the  Almighty  said  to  him, 
"  Unto  thy  seed  will  I  give  this  land."  Abram  then  en- 
camped upon  a  mountain  between  Bethel  and  Hai,  and 
afterward  journeyed  southward,  but  was  at  length  driven 
by  a  famine  to  Egypt,  where  he  deceived  Pharaoh  by 
passing  off  his  wife  Sarai  as  his  sister ;  but  she  was  pre- 
served from  the  Egyptian  king  by  divine  interference. 
Gen.  xii.  2-20. 

22.  Iteti(/rns  to  Canaan  and  Encamps  at  Mani/re, 
while  Lot  Dwells  at  Sodotn,  1918, — At  Pharaoh's 
command,  Abram  and  Lot  left  Egypt  and  returned  to 
the  mountain  between  Bethel  and  Hai  with  increased 
possessions  and  herds ;  but,  a  dispute  having  arisen  be- 
tween their  several  herdsmen,  they  agreed  upon  an  amica- 
ble separation,  Lot  pitching  his  tent  in  the  vale  of  Sid- 
dim,  toward  Sodom,  while  Abraham  proceeded  to  the 
vale  of  Mamre  in  Hebron,J  where  he  fixed  his  residence 
and  built  an  altar  to  the  Lord.  Gen.  xiii. 

23.  Inhabitants  of  Canaan. — Some  time  prior  to 
this  period  a  division  of  the  posterity  of  Canaan,  young- 
est son  of  Ham,  settled  in  this  country,  and  named  it 
after  their  father.     They  appear  to  have  been  divided 

*  This  was  afterward  included  in  Samaria. 

f  The  plain  or  valjey  of  Moreh  lies  between  the  mountains  of  Ebal 
and  Gerizim,  also  in  Samaria,  and  must  not  be  confounded  with  Mount 
Moriah,  on  which  the  temple  was  built. 

X  Mamre  was  about  a  mile  from  the  town  of  Arha,  afterward  called 
Hebron,  and  lay  in  a  central  part  of  what  was  subsequently  the  tribe 
of  Judah. 


46  GENESIS   XIV.  B.  c.  1913. 

into  ten  families,  or  tribes ;  the  Kenites,  Kenizzites,  and 
Kadmonites  inhabited  the  region  east  of  the  Jordan  ; 
whilst  the  Hittites,  Perizzites,  Rephaims,  Amorites,  Ca- 
naanites,*  Gergashites,  and  Jebusites  occupied  the  terri- 
tory from  the  Jordan  to  the  Mediterranean.  They  were 
separated  into  a  number  of  small  independent  communi- 
ties, governed  by  petty  kings,  who,  hoAvever,  appear  to 
have  been  regarded  more  as  military  commanders  than 
as  civil  rulers.  Gen.  v.  19-21.  (See  also  sect.  247-249.) 
24.  Abram  rescues  Lot  from  Captivity,  1913, — 
About  fourteen  years  prior  to  the  present  date,  an  Assyr- 
ian force  crossed  the  Euphrates  and  subjected  five  petty 
kings,  including  those  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  who  oc- 
cupied the  vale  of  Siddim.  This  invading  force  was  com- 
posed of  four  nations,  who  probably  formed  a  joart  of  the 
Assyrian  power,  Avhich  seems  at  this  period  to  have  pre- 
dominated in  Western  Asia ;  and  each  of  these  nations 
was  commanded  by  its  own  king — ^viz.  Chedorlaomer, 
king  of  Elam,  or  Elymais ;  Amraphel,  king  of  Shinar, 
or  Babylonia ;  Arioch,  king  of  Ellasar ;  and  Tidal,  king 
of  nations — i.  e.  of  a  mixed  people  or  union  of  small 
tribes.  Chedorlaomer  was  probably  left  viceroy  of  these 
conquests,  for  we  are  told  that  the  five  conquered  kings 
in  the  vale  of  Siddim  served  him  faithfully  for  twelve 
years,  but  rebelled  in  the  thirteenth.  In  the  fourteenth 
year  Chedorlaomer  and  his  confederates  again  invaded 
the  country  to  punish  the  rebellion,  and  after  reducing 
the  races  in  the  neighborhood,  who  had  probably  partici- 
pated in  the  revolt,  they  reached  the  vale  of  Siddim. 
The  five  kings  came  out  to  meet  them,  but  w^ere  soon 
defeated,  and  their  forces  either  driven  into  the  slime-pits 
or  compelled  to  flee  to  the  mountains.  Chedorlaomer 
then  ravaged  the  towns,  seized  all  the  movable  property 
and  provisions  and  the  women  and  children,  and  carried 
away  Lot  and  his  family  among  the  captives.  Abram 
w^as  still  sojourning  in  the  vale  of  Mamre  when  the 
tidings  were  brought  to  him.  Three  Amorite  brothers, 
Mamre,  Eshcol,  and  Aner,  joined  him  with  their  clans, 

*  The  whole  of  these  tribes  were  of  Canaaiiite  origin,  and  the  Ca- 
naanites  here  specially  mentioned  were  probably  only  put  for  all  their 
clans  not  intended  to  be  particularly  enumerated,  such  as  the  Phoeni- 
cian tribes.     See  Kitto. 


B.C.  1910.  GENESIS   XIV.,   XV.  47 

and  he  then  armed  his  own  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
servants,  and,  dividing  his  small  army  into  several  bands, 
he  fell  upon  the  conquerors  by  night  near  Dan,  and 
routed  and  pursued  them  to  Hobah,  north  of  Damascus, 
and  recovered  the  plunder  and  prisoners.  On  his  return 
he  was  met  by  Melchizedek,  the  king  of  Salem,  and  priest 
of  the  most  high  God,  who  brought  bread  and  wine  and 
blessed  the  conquering  patriarch,  who  seems  to  have  ac- 
knowledged him  as  priest  of  Jehovah,  for  "  he  gave  him 
the  tithe  of  all."  The  king  of  Sodom  then  offered  to 
Abram  the  goods  which  he  had  recovered,  in  return  for 
the  captives  whom  he  had  delivered,  but  the  present  was 
generously  declined.  Gen.  xiv. 

25.  Charcicter  of  Melchizedeh'. — The  character  and 
office  of  JMelchizedek  are  involved  in  mystery.  His  birth, 
death,  and  parentage  are  alike  unknown.  (^See  Heb.  vii. 
1-3.)  St.  Paul  and  David  both  allude  to  him  as  a  type 
of  Jesus  Christ,  who  they  say  "  is  a  priest  for  ever  after 
the  order  of  Melchizedek."  Ps.  ex.  4 ;  Heb.  v.  6 ;  vi.  20 ; 
vii.  17,  21. 

26.  God  promises  Ahram  a  Son,  and  jy^^ophesies 
Four  Hundred  Years'  Affliction  to  his  Seed. — After 
Abram's  return  to  Mamre,  he  was  encouraged  by  God  in 
a  vision,  and  promised  a  son  whose  descendants  should  be 
numerous  as  the  stars  and  inherit  Canaan.  Abram  then^ 
by  the  divine  command,  offered  a  prescribed  sacrifice, 
and,  falling  into  a  deep  sleep,  the  Lord  appeared  to  him 
in  a  A^sion  and  prophesied  the  four  hundred  years'  Egyp- 
tian captivity  of  his  descendants  and  their  final  posses- 
sion of  the  Promised  Land :  "  Know  of  a  surety  that  thy 
seed  shall  be  a  stranger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and 
shall  serve  them,  and  they  shall  afflict  them  four  hundred 
years."  Gen.  xv.  13.  These  four  hundred  years  cannot 
be  reconciled  with  chronology,  which  makes  the  Egyptian 
bondage  extend  to  only  two  hundred  and  fifteen  years ; 
but,  calculating  the  affliction  to  have  commenced  in  Ca- 
naan at  the  birth  of  Isaac,  it  will  make  a  period  of  four 
hundred  and  thirty  years. 

27.  Ishniael  horuy  1910. — Sarai  still  continued 
childless,  and  in  b.  c.  1911,  being  ten  years  after  Abram's 
first  sojourn  in  Canaan,  she  persuaded  her  husband  to 
take  her  Egyptian  handmaid  Hagar  as  his  concubine. 


48  GENESIS   XV.-XVII.  b.  c.  1898. 

Hagar  became  pregnant  and  despised  her  mistress ;  but, 
being  hardly  dealt  with  by  Sarai,  she  fled  to  the  wilder- 
ness of  Shur,  in  Arabia  Petrsea,  where  an  angel  encour- 
aged her  by  a  well,  and  promised  her  a  son  who  should 
be  named  Ishmael:  "And  he  will  be  a  wild  man;  his 
hand  will  be  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand 
Avill  be  against  him."  Hagar  then  returned,  and  gave 
birth  to  Ishmael  in  b.  c.  1910,  being  the  86th  year  of 
Abram's  age.  Gen.  xv. ;  xvi.  Ishmael  and  Hagar  were 
again  expelled  after  the  birth  of  Isaac.  (For  a  further 
account  of  him  see  sect.  34.) 

28.  God  reneivs  Ms  Covenant  tvith  Ahram,  1898, — 
When  Abram  was  ninety-nine  years  old  and  Ishmael 
thirteen,  the  Lord  renewed  his  promises  to  the  father — 
viz. 

1st.  That  he  should  have  a  son  by  Sarai,  notwithstand- 
ing their  old  age. 

2d.  That  in  his  seed  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should 
be  blessed. 

3d.  That  his  descendants  should  possess  Canaan  and 
be  as  numerous  as  the  stars. 

The  first  promise  w^as  fulfilled  in  the  birth  of  Isaac,  the 
second  in  the  birth  of  the  Messiah,  and  the  third  literally 
in  the  rapid  increase  of  the  Israelites,  Ishmaelites,  and 
Edomites,  and  spiritually  in  the  multitude  of  believers  in 
all  nations.  Acts  iii.  25  ;  Kom.  iv.  12-17.  St.  Paul  says, 
"  They  which  are  of  faith,  the  same  are  the  children  of 
Abraham."  Gal.  iii.  7.  Hence  Abraham  has  been  called 
the  "  father  of  the  faithful."     (See  sect.  42.) 

29.  Institutes  CircuTncision,  and  changes  Abra^n's 
and  Sarai's  Names, — Circumcision  was  then  instituted 
by  Jehovah,  and  Abraham  circumcised  all  the  males  of 
his  household,  himself  included,  on  the  same  day,  he  be- 
ing ninety-nine  years  old  and  Ishmael  thirteen  years. 
God  also  changed  Abram's  name  to  Abraham,  which 
signifies  "  the  father  of  a  great  multitude ;"  and  Sarai's 
name  to  Saeah,  which  signifies  "princess."  Gen.  xvii. 

30.  Ahraham  visited  hy  three  Angels ;  intercedes 
for  Sodom,  1898. — The  same  year  three  strangers 
visited  Abraham,  and  were  hospitably  entertained,  when 
one  of  them,  who  was  the  angel  Jehovah,  again  promised 
him  a  son  by  Sarah,  and  reproved  his  wife  for  laughing 


B.  c.  1898-1892.  GENESIS   XVII.— XX.  49 

at  the  prediction.  The  angel  also  intimated  to  Abraham 
the  forthcoming  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
but  when  the  patriarch  pleaded  for  the  doomed  city,  he 
was  assured  that  if  fifty  or  even  ten  righteous  men  could 
be  found  there,  it  should  be  spared.  Gen.  xviii. 

31.  Destruction  of  Sodom,  and  Origin  of  Moab 
and  Amnion,  1898. — Two  angels  were  now  sent  to 
warn  Lot  and  his  family  of  the  impending  doom.  They 
were  suitably  entertained  by  the  nephew  of  Abraham, 
but  only  escaped  from  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom  by 
smiting  them  with  blindness.  The  household  were  now 
aroused  at  the  miracle.  Lot  and  his  wife  and  two  un- 
married daughters  left  the  city,  but  the  husbands  of  his 
married  daughters  refused  to  move,  and  his  wife,  looking 
back,  was  turned  to  a  pillar  of  salt.  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah were  then  destroyed  by  fire  and  brimstone,  and  the 
plain  in  which  they  stood  was  overflowed  by  the  Jordan, 
and  now  forms  the  Dead  Sea.  Lot  and  his  two  daughters 
escaped  to  Zoar,  which  was  saved  at  his  request.  He 
and  his  daughters  afterward  dwelt  in  a  neighboring  cave, 
where  Moab  and  Benammi,  the  progenitors  of  the  Moab- 
ites  and  Ammonites,  sprang  from  an  incestuous  connec- 
tion. Gen.  xix. 

32.  Abraham  removes  to  Gerar,  1898, — Abraham 
now  left  Mamre  and  journeyed  southward  to  Gerar,  in 
the  territory  afterward  occupied  by  the  Philistines,  where 
he  deceived  Abimelech  by  saying  that  Sarah  was  his  sis- 
ter; but  she  was  preserved  by  divine  interference,  and 
Abimelech  rebuked  her  husband,  but  made  him  large 
presents  of  cattle  and  servants,  and  one  thousand  pieces 
of  silver, — i.  e.  shekel's  weight,  or  £129  3d.  4(i.* — and  per- 
mitted him  to  settle  in  the  land.  Gen.  xx. 

33.  Isaac  born,  1897* — Isaac  was  born  Isaac,  b.c. 
in  the  one  hundredth  year  of  his  father's  age,   i897-i7i6. 
and  circumcised  on  the  eighth  day.     He  was  called  Isaac 
— i.  e.  "  laughter  " — because  his  mother  had  laughed  when 
the  three  angels  had  promised  his  birth.     (See  sect.  30.) 

34.  Hagar  and  Ishmael  exiled,  1892. — Sarah  now 
returned  the  mocking  of  Hagar,  and  Abraham,  though 

*  Silver  is  reckoned  here  and  throughout  the  book  at  5».  per  oz.,  and 
gold  at  £4  per  oz. 

5  D 


50  GENESIS   XXI.,   XXII.  b.  c.  1891-1872. 

sanctioned  by  God,  was  reluctantly  compelled  to  send 
away  his  concubine  and  child,  wdio  were  afterward  re- 
duced to  the  greatest  distress  in  the  wilderness  of  Beer- 
sheba ;  but  an  angel  appeared,  and,  God  having  opened 
her  eyes,  she  saw  a  well.  Ishmael  then  became  a  great 
archer  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  and  afterward  married 
an  Egyptian  wife  and  had  twelve  sons,  who  became  the 
fathers  of  twelve  Arabian  tribes,  which  still  exist.  He 
also  had  a  daughter,  Mahalath,  who  subsequently  mar- 
ried her  cousin  Esau.  (See  sect.  48.)  He  died,  aged  one 
hundred  and  thirty-seven,  in  the  presence  of  all  his  breth- 
ren. Gen.  xxi.  1-21-;  xxv.  18. 

35.  Digging  of  JBeei^sheba,  i  ^9 jf  .^Abraham,  who 
still  resided  at  Gerar,  now  entered  into  a  covenant  with 
Abimelech  and  Phichol,  his  captain  of  the  host,  and  dug 
the  well  of  Beersheba.  Gen.  xxi.  22-34. 

36.  Abraham  tenijyted  to  offer  Isaac,  1872, — 
AVhen  Isaac  was  twenty-five  years  old,  Abraham  was  de- 
sired by  God  to  offer  him  up  as  a  burnt-ofiering  on  Mount 
Moriah.  The  faithful  patriarch  took  his  son  and  two 
servants,  and  arrived  at  the  appointed  place  after  a  three 
days'  journey.  Abraham  and  Isaac  ascended  Moriah 
alone.  The  fire  and  wood  were  prepared,  when  Isaac 
said,  "  My  father,  behold  the  fire  and  the  wood,  but  where 
is  the  lamb  for  a  burnt-offering?"  Abraham  replied, 
"  My  son,  God  will  provide  himself  a  lamb  for  a  burnt- 
offering  ;"  and  the  father  was  about  to  offer  the  fearful 
sacrifice,  when  his  hand  was  stayed  by  an  angel,  and  a 
ram  caught  in  the  thicket  was  offered  and  accepted  as  a 
substitute  for  the  son.  Abraham  then  called  the  place 
" Jehovah-jireh " — "the  Lord  will  provide" — and  after 
receiving  another  special  testimony  of  the  approbation  of 
God,  he  returned  and  dwelt  at  Beersheba.*  Gen.  xxii. 

*  Isaac  a  Type  of  Christ. — Isaac  was  a  type  of  Christ  in  the  follow- 
ing ways  :  1.  In  his  miraculous  birth  from  an  aged  mother,  whilst  Christ 
was  born  of  a  virgin.  2.  In  his  being,  like  Jesus,  obedient  unto  death. 
3.  In  his  carrying  tlie  wood  on  which  he  was  to  be  sacrificed  to  Mount 
Moriah,  whilst  Christ  carried  his  cross  to  the  same  place.  4.  In  his 
meek  obedience  to  his  father's  will.  5.  In  his  father's  willingness  to 
sacrifice  his  only  son,  who  was  heir  to  a  temjioral  Canaan,  like  to  our 
Saviour,  through  whom  we  are  heirs  to  a  heave)Uy  Canaan.  Moreover, 
the  lamb  which  Abraham  had  told  his  son  that  "  God  would  provide" 
seems  to  point  to  the  "Lamb  of  God;"  whilst  the  substituted  ram  re- 


B.  c.  1860-1837.  GENESIS   XXIIL-XXV.  51 

37.  Death  of  Sarah,  1860. — Sarah,  having  attained 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  years,  died  at 
Mamre,  when  Abraham  purchased  the  cave  of  Machpelah 
for  four  hundred  shekels'  weight  of  silver  [about  182  oz.,  or 
£45 10s.  8c/.]  from  the  sons  of  Heth  as  a  burial-place  for  his 
wife,  and  it  subsequently  became  the  sepulchre  of  him- 
self and  of  Isaac,  Rebekah,  Jacob,  Leah,  and  Joseph. 
Gen.  xxiii. 

38.  Isaac  marries  Rebehah,  1857. — Isaac  was  now 
forty  years  old,  and  Abraham  sent  Eliezer,  who  was  the 
steward  or  eldest  servant  of  his  house,  to  Haran  in  Meso- 
potamia to  seek  a  wife  for  Isaac  in  the  family  of  Nahor. 
At  a  well  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of  Nahor,  Eliezer 
prayed  to  Jehovah,  in  the  name  of  the  God  of  his  master 
Abraham,  that  the  damsel  of  whom  he  should  ask  a 
drink,  and  who  should  accede  to  his  request,  might  be  the 
woman  appointed  for  Isaac's  wife.  Before  he  had  done 
speaking  he  saw  Rebekah,  the  daughter  of  Bethuel  and 
granddaughter  of  Nahor  and  Milcah,  with  whom  events 
occurred  as  he  had  prayed.  Accordingly,  he  gave  Re- 
bekah a  golden  earring  and  two  bracelets ;  and  after  de- 
livering his  errand  to  her  brother  Laban  and  her  father 
Bethuel,  he  was  permitted  to  escort  her  to  the  residence 
of  Abraham,  where  she  was  married  to  Isaac.  Gen.  xxiv. 

39.  Abraham  inarries  Keturah,  1853. — After  this 
Abraham  married  Keturah,  who  bore  him  six  sons,* 
amongst  whom  was  Midian,  the  progenitor  of  the  Mid- 
ianites.  Gen.  xxv.  1-3. 

40.  Jacob  and  Esau  born  to  Isaac,  Jacob,  b.c. 
1837. — Isaac  had  been  married  twenty  years  i^^'^-i^so. 
without  offspring ;  but,  having  entreated  the  Lord,  his 
wife,  Rebekah,  brought  forth  twins — Esau,  the  elder,  a 
hairy  man,  who  became  a  hunter  and  was  the  favorite 
of  his  father,  and  Jacob,  the  younger,  who  became  a 
shepherd  and  the  darling  of  his  mother.  Gen.  xxv.  19-28. 
Jacob  obtained  his  name  because  at  his  birth  he  held  his 
brother's  heel,  Jacob  signifying  "  a  heeler,"  or  "  one  who 

sembles  those  temple-sacrifices  which  were  typical  of  Christ's  atone- 
ment. 

"-i^  These  sons  Abraham,  before  his  death,  sent  away  with  gifts,  and 
they  subsequently  became  founders  of  Arabian  tribes,  and  traces  of 
their  names  may  still  be  discovered  in  Arabia. 


52  GENESIS   XXV.,   XXVI.  b.  c.  1822-1773. 

heels  or  strikes  up  liis  adversary."  This  explains  Esau's 
subsequent  remark :  "  Is  not  he  rightly  named  Jacob  ?  for 
he  hath  supplanted  me  these  two  times." 

41.  Abraham  dies,  1822, — Abraham  died  at  the 
age  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five,  and  was  buried  by 
Isaac  and  Ishmael  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah.  The  sons 
of  his  concubines  he  had  previously  sent  away  from  Isaac 
wdth  gifts.  Gen.  xxv.  5-10. 

42.  Abraham  tJie  Father  of  the  Faithful, — Abra- 
ham was  remarkable  for  three  particular  acts  of  faith — 
viz.  1.  Obeying  the  call  of  God  and  leaving  his  father's 
house  to  ^0  he  knew  not  whither,  and  in  sojourning  in 
the  land  of  promise  as  in  a  strange  country,  dwelling  in 
tabernacles ;  2.  Offering  up  his  son  Isaac ;  3.  Believing 
God's  promise  that  he  should  be  the  father  of  many  na- 
tions, though  he  was  one  hundred  years  old  and  Sarai 
past  child-bearing,  which  faith  was  imputed  to  him  for 
righteousness.  Heb.  xi. ;  Rom.  iv. 

43.  Esau  sells  his  Birthright,  1S05, — One  day, 
when  Esau  and  Jacob  were  each  thirty-two  years  old, 
Esau  came  in  hungry  and  sold  his  birthright  to  Jacob 
for  a  mess  of  red  pottage.  Gen.  xxv.  29-34.  Esau  was 
named  Edom,  which  signifies  "  red,"  either  from  this  red 
pottage  or  from  the  redness  of  his  hair  and  complexion. 
Gen.  xxv.  25,  30. 

44.  Famine  in  Canaan  ;  Isaac  leaves  3Ianire  for 
Gerar,  and  deceives  Abimelech,  1804, — On  account 
of  a  famine  and  by  divine  command,  Isaac  left  Mamre 
for  Gerar,  where,  like  his  father,  he  deceived  Abimelech, 
the  king  of  the  Philistines,  by  saying  that  Rebekah  was 
his  sister.  This  deceit  was  discovered  by  Abimelech,  and 
Isaac,  after  reopening  the  wells  which  Abraham  had  dug, 
but  which  had  been  filled  up  by  the  Philistines,  removed 
to  Beersheba,  where  God  confirmed  to  him  the  promise 
which  he  had  made  to  his  father ;  and  Abimelech  and 
Phichol  also  renewed  the  covenant  which  they  had  made 
with  Abraham.  Gen.  xxvi. 

45.  Fsau  marries  two  Hittite  ivomen,  1796; 
Ishmael  dies,  17 7 S, — When  Esau  was  forty  years  old 
he  married  Judith  (or  Aholibamah)  and  Bashemath  (or 
Adah),  the  daughters  of  Hittites — an  alliance  which 
grieved  the  minds  of  both  Isaac  and  Kebekah.     Ishmael 


B.  c.  1760.  GENESIS   XXVI.-XXVIII.  53 

had  now  begat  twelve  princes,  who  dAvelt  between  Hav- 
ilah  and  Shur,  and  he  died  in  b.  c.  1773,  at  the  age  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  years.  Gen.  xxvi.  34,  35 ; 
XXV.  12-18 ;  xxxvi. 

46.  Isaac  blesses  Jacob  instead  of  JEsaii,  1700, — 
When  Isaac  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  years  old 
he  sent  Esau  to  hunt  venison,  that  he  might  eat  the  savory 
meat  and  bless  him  before  he  died.  Rebekah  heard  the 
instructions,  and  hoped  to  transfer  the  blessing  to  her 
favorite  son,  Jacob.  She  accordingly  desired  Jacob  to 
fetch  two  goat-kids  from  the  flock,  from  which  she  made 
savory  meat,  and,  after  placing  the  skins  upon  Jacob's 
neck  and  hands  and  clothing  him  in  Esau's  raiment,  she 
sent  him  to  the  bedside  of  her  aged  husband.  The  de- 
ception was  successful,  and  Isaac  took  the  meat  from 
Jacob  and  pronounced  over  him  the  patriarchal  and  pro- 
phetical benediction  of  abundance,  dominion,  and  supe- 
riority. Scarcely  had  Jacob  left  his  presence  when  Esau 
returned,  and  Isaac  discovered  the  imposition.  The  agi- 
tated father  trembled  exceedingly  at  hearing  the  bitter 
lamentations  of  Esau,  but  confirmed  the  blessing  on 
Jacob,  and  only  pronounced  an  inferior  benediction  on 
his  first-born  ;  and  the  enraged  hunter  resolved,  when  his 
father  should  die,  to  be  revenged  by  the  murder  of  his 
brother.  Gen.  xxvii. 

47.  Jacob  goes  to  Laban  at  Haran  :  his  Dreamy 
1760, — The  threat  of  Esau  was  reported  to  Rebekah, 
and  she  prevailed  on  Isaac  to  send  Jacob  to  Padan-aram 
[Mesopotamia]  for  the  purpose  of  seeking  a  wife  amongst 
the  daughters  of  her  brother  Laban.  Jacob,  having  re- 
ceived the  directions  of  his  father,  left  Beersheba  for 
Haran  in  Mesopotamia,  where  Laban  dwelt,  and  on  the 
approach  of  night  he  arranged  some  stones  for  his  pillows 
and  lay  down  to  sleep.  The  ancestor  of  the  Israelites 
was  here  encouraged  by  a  celestial  vision.  A  ladder  ap- 
peared to  connect  earth  with  heaven,  upon  which  angels 
ascended  and  descended,  whilst  Jehovah  stood  on  its  sum- 
mit and  announced  himself  to  Jacob  as  the  God  of  his 
fathers,  and  confirmed  in  him  the  promises  w^hich  he  had 
made  to  Isaac  and  Abraham.  Jacob  awoke  with  trem- 
bling, and,  actuated  by  pious  awe,  he  built  a  monument 
with  the  stones  he  had  used  for  pillows ;  and,  pouring  oil 

5* 


54  GENESIS    XXVIIL,   XXIX.         b.  c.  1760-1753. 

upon  it,  he  called  the  place  Bethel — "  the  house  of  God  " — 
and  vowed  that  if  God  would  fulfil  his  promise  of  protec- 
tion, he  would  devote  to  him  a  tenth  of  his  possessions. 
Gen.  xxviii. 

48.  Esau  marries  Mahalathf  1760. — Meantime, 
Esau,  seeing  that  his  marriages  had  hitherto  displeased 
his  father,  took  his  cousin  Mahalath,  daughter  of  Ishmael, 
for  wife.  Gen.  xxviii.  9. 

49.  Jacob  tnarHes  Leah  and  Machel,  1753, — 
Jacob,  on  reaching  a  w^ell  in  the  outskirts  of  Haran,  saw 
his  cousin  Kachel,  the  daughter  of  Laban,  and  imme- 
diately fell  in  love  with  her.  He  was  then  welcomed  by 
Laban,  who  had  two  daughters — Leah,  the  eldest,  who 
w^as  tender-eyed,  and  Rachel,  who  was  exceedingly  beau- 
tiful. Jacob  promised  to  serve  his  uncle  Laban  for  seven 
years  for  Rachel ;  but  when  the  time  had  expired  and  he 
claimed  his  wife,  Laban  artfully  substituted  Leah  for 
Rachel.  Jacob  w^as  incensed  at  the  deceit,  but  Laban 
pleaded  the  customs  of  the  country,  but  promised  to  give 
Rachel  to  his  son-in-law  at  the  expiration  of  the  mar- 
riage-week, upon  his  engaging  to  serve  him  for  another 
seven  years.  The  two  marriages  were  then  consummated, 
Zilpah  being  the  handmaid  of  Leah,  and  Bilhah  the 
handmaid  of  Rachel.  Gen.  xxix.  1-30. 

50.  Family  of  Jacob, — Jacob  loved  Rachel  best, 
but,  as  for  some  time  she  was  barren  and  Leah  fruitful, 
there  was  constant  rivalry  and  jealousy  between  the  two 
wives.  His  children  were  born  in  Haran  in  the  follow- 
ing order : 

By  Leah,  his  first  wife,  ,  r\     ~f     j" 

1.  Reuben,  born  b.  c.  1752.      '^^^-^^y^JjLur  1 

2.  Simeon,  born  b.  c.  1751.    J-*^  h  ^  ^^^-""^"^^  ^  ■ 

3.  Levi,  born  b.  c.  1750.      ^ 

4.  JuDAH,  born  b.  c.  1749. 

By  Bilhah,  Rachel's  handmaid,        /_jL*J    ^u^^-^ 

5.  Dan,  born  b.  c.  1748.  ^/""^  ^ 

6.  Naphtali,  born  b.  c.  1747. 
By  Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid, 

7.  Gad,  born  b.  c.  1748. 

8.  Asher,  born  b.  c.  1747. 

By  Leah,  who  gave  mandrakes  to  Rachel, 

9.  IssACHAR,  born  b.  c.  1747. 


B.  c.  1745-1739.  GENESIS   XXX.,   XXXI.  55 

10.  Zebulun,  born  b.  c.  1746. 
And  afterward  Dinah,  a  daughter. 

By  Rachel,  his  second  and  favorite  wife, 

11.  Joseph,  born  b.  c.  1745. 

Several  years  afterward,  at  Ephrath  in  Bethlehem, 

12.  Benjamin,  born  b.  c.  1729.  Gen.  xxx.  1-24. 

51.  JTacoh's  neiv  Covenant  ivith  Laban,  1745. — • 
Jacob  had  now  served  Laban  fourteen  years  for  his  two 
wives,  and  was  desirous  of  returning  to  Beersheba ;  but 
Laban  pressed  him  to  stay,  and  promised  to  give  him  all 
the  cattle  which  were  born  with  particular  marks.  By  sin- 
gular expedients  Jacob  contrived  that  all  the  healthy  cattle 
should  be  born  with  the  marks  required,  which  so  excited 
the  envy  and  discontent  of  Laban  and  his  sons  that  Jacob 
determined  on  returning  to  Isaac,  and  his  wives  readily 
agreed  with  his  resolve.  Gen.  xxx.  25-43 ;  xxxi.  1-16. 

52.  Jacob  leaves  Laban,  1739, — Jacob,  having  now 
faithfully  served  Laban  for  twenty  years,  was  indignant 
at  his  conduct ;  and,  being  a  fearful  man,  he  secretly  and 
suddenly  left  Padan-aram — i.  e.  Mesopotamia — with  his 
wives,  sons,  possessions,  and  herds.  Laban  was  ignorant 
of  his  departure  until  three  days  afterward,  when  he  im- 
mediately commenced  pursuit,  and  overtook  his  son-in- 
law  in  Mount  Gilead,  but,  being  warned  by  God  in  a 
dream  not  to  injure  Jacob,  he  only  expostulated  with  him 
on  the  secrecy  of  his  departure,  and  accused  him  of  hav^ 
ing  stolen  his  gods.  Jacob  was  unaware  that  Bachel  had 
taken  these  images,  and  vehemently  denied  the  charge 
and  begged  Laban  to  leok  over  the  whole  of  his  goods, 
threatening  to  execute  whoever  should  be  found  to  have 
carried  off  the  idols.  But  Rachel  contrived  to  conceal 
the  gods,  and  Jacob  rebuked  Laban  for  the  ungrateful 
return  which  he  made  after  receiving  from  him  twenty 
years'  faithful  service.  A  reconciliation  then  took  place, 
a  heap  of  stones  was  made,  and  it  was  agreed  that  Jacob 
should  not  afflict  the  daughters  of  Laban  or  take  other 
wives  besides  them,  and  that  Laban  should  never  pass 
the  heap  with  the  design  of  injuring  Jacob.  After  a 
friendly  feast  the  two  parties  separated,  Laban  to  Padan- 
aram  and  Jacob  toward  Beersheba.  Gen.  xxxi.  17-55. 

53.  His  Vision  at  3fahanaini  arid  3Iessage  to 
Esau, — At  Mahanaim,  Jacob  was  met  by  angels,  and 


66  GENESIS   XXXIL,   XXXIII.        b.  c.  1739-1732. 

from  thence  he  sent  messengers  to  Seir  and  Edom  to  en- 
deavor to  propitiate  his  brother  Esau,  but  they  returned 
with  the  tidings  that  Esau  was  advancing  to  meet  him 
with  four  hundred  men.  Jacob  was  now  terrified  and 
distressed,  and  divided  his  people  and  cattle  into  two 
divisions,  that  if  Esau  attacked  one  the  other  might 
escape.  He  then  prayed  to  the  God  of  his  fathers,  and 
made  up  a  present  to  his  brother  of  two  hundred  she- 
goats,  twenty  he-goats,  two  hundred  ewes,  twenty  rams, 
thirty  milch-camels  with  their  colts,  forty  kine,  ten  bulls, 
twenty  she-asses,  and  ten  foals.  All  these  he  arranged 
in  droves  with  a  space  between  each  two,  and  desired  his 
servants  to  proceed  with  them,  and  when  asked  by  Esau 
as  to  whose  they  were  to  reply  that  the  cattle  belonged  to 
his  servant  Jacob,  who  was  behind  them,  and  were  a 
present  for  his  lord,  Esau.  Gen.  xxxii.  1-20. 

54.  Wrestles  tvith  a  3Iau  at  Peniel, — Jacob  now 
sent  his  wives  and  family  over  the  Jabbok  and  was  left 
alone,  but  he  spent  the  night  in  a  mysterious  wrestle  with 
a  celestial  Being,  who  touched  and  disjointed  the  hollow 
of  his  thigh,  and,  after  blessing  him,  changed  his  name 
from  Jacob  to  Israel,  or  "  prevailer  with  God."  Jacob 
then  named  the  place  Peniel,  "  the  face  of  God ;"  and 
his  descendants  continue  to  refuse  to  eat  of  that  sinew 
which  shrank.  Gen.  xxxii.  20-32. 

55.  3Ieetmg  tvith  Esau. — The  next  morning  Jacob 
passed  the  ford  and  saw  his  brother  approaching  with 
four  hundred  men.  He  immediately  placed  Rachel  and 
Joseph  in  the  rear  of  his  train,  and,  advancing  before  it, 
he  bowed  seven  times  in  obeisance  to  Esau.  The  heart 
of  the  huntsman  was  touched ;  he  fell  upon  the  neck  of 
Jacob  and  kissed  him,  and  they  both  wept.  Leah  and 
Rachel  were  then  introduced  and  the  present  forced  upon 
Esau,  who  afterward  returned  to  Seir,  and  Jacob  jour- 
neyed on  slowly  to  Succoth.*  Gen.  xxxiii. 

56.  Hesides  at  Succoth  and  Shechem;  Slaughter 
of  the  Shechemites,  17 39-17 32. — At  Succoth,  Jacob 
dwelt  for  about  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Shalem, 
a  city  of  Shechem,  where  he  bought  a  field  of  Hamor,  the 
prince  of  the  country,  and  pitched  his  tent  and  erected  an 

"■'•  See  note  to  sect.  100. 


B.  c.  1732-1729.         GENESIS   XXXIV.,   XXXV.  57 

altar.  Here  Dinah,  his  daughter  by  Leah,  having  min- 
gled with  the  daughters  of  the  land,  was  carried  off  by 
Shechem,  son  of  Hamor.  The  young  man  wished  to 
atone  for  his  conduct  by  marriage,  and  both  himself  and 
his  father  endeavored  to  propitiate  Jacob  and  his  sons. 
The  brethren  of  Dinah  agreed  to  the  alliance,  but  de- 
manded the  circumcision  of  the  Shechemites;  and  the 
third  day  after  the  ceremony  Simeon  and  Levi  fell  upon 
the  city,  slew  all  the  males,  including  Hamor  and  She- 
chem,  took  Dinah  from  the  house  of  the  young  prince, 
and  carried  off  the  women  and  cattle.  Jacob  bitterly  re- 
buked his  children  for  this  cruel  and  treacherous  act,  and 
remembered  it  in  his  dying  predictions  regarding  Simeon 
and  Levi.  Gen.  xxxiii.  18-20  ;  xxxiv. 

57.  Buries  the  Idols  of  his  Household  and  goes  to 
Bethel,  1732. — The  Lord  now  commanded  Jacob  to  go  to 
Bethel,  which  he  obeyed,  after  collecting  all  the  idols  from 
his  household  and  burying  them  under  the  oak  at  She- 
chem.  Here  Deborah,  the  nurse  of  Kebekah,  died,  and 
Jehovah  again  appeared  to  Jacob  and  renewed  his  prom- 
ise of  a  numerous  posterity  and  possession  of  Canaan. 
Gen.  XXXV.  1-15. 

58.  Death  of  Bachel ;  Birth  of  Benjarnin,  1732, 
— Jacob  now  left  Bethel,  but  when  his  family  had  nearly 
reached  Ephrath,  Kachel  was  seized  with  the  pains  of 
labor,  and  died  after  giving  birth  to  Benjamin,  and  was 
buried  at  Ephrath  in  Bethlehem.  Gen.  xxxv.  16-20. 
Rachel  with  her  dying  lips  called  the  child  Benoni — 
i.  e.  "  the  son  of  my  sorrow ;"  but  Jacob,  wishing  to  fcr- 
get  his  sorrow,  afterward  called  the  child  Benjamin — 
i.  e.  "  the  son  of  my  right  hand." 

59.  Beuben's  Incest  with  Bilhah. — Jacob  proceeded 
on  his  journey,  but  dwelt  a  while  beyond  the  tower  of 
Edar,  where  Reuben  committed  incest  with  Bilhah,  Ra- 
chel's handmaid  and  Jacob's  concubine.  For  this  crime 
Reuben  received  the  dying  curse  of  Jacob,  and  his  birth- 
right was  transferred  to  Judah.  (See  sect.  72.)  Gen. 
xxxv.  22. 

60.  Jacob  resides  ivith  Isaac  at  Mamre,  1729, — 
Jacob  now  joined  his  father  Isaac  at  Mamre  in  Hebron 
in  Canaan,  and  lived  with  him  till  he  died,  thirteen  years 
afterward,  B.  c.  1716.  Gen.  xxxv.  27-29. 


58  GENESIS   XXXVII.  B.  c.  1729-1727. 

61.  Joseph  excites  his  Brethren's  Envy, 
1745-1635.*^       nnd  is  sold  to  the  Ishmaelites,  1729, — 

Scarcely  had  Jacob  settled  in  Canaan  when 
Joseph,  the  elder  son  of  Rachel,  who  was  then  seventeen 
years  old,  excited  the  hatred  and  envy  of  his  brethren 
by  three  circumstances :  1st.  He  reported  to  his  father 
the  misconduct  of  the  sons  of  Bilhah  and  Zilpah ;  2d. 
Jacob  loved  him  more  than  his  other  children,  and  gave 
him  a  coat  of  divers  colors ;  3d.  Having  dreamed  two 
dreams  prophetical  of  an  elevated  career — one  that  his 
brothers'  sheaves  bowed  before  his  sheaf,  and  another 
that  the  sun,  moon,  and  eleven  stars  did  obeisance  to 
him — he  related  the  visions  to  his  brethren.  After  this 
he  was  sent  by  Jacob  to  his  brethren,  who  were  supposed 
to  be  keeping  their  father's  flocks  at  Shechem;  but, 
on  arriving  at  Shechem,  Joseph  learnt  that  they  were 
gone  to  Dothan,  where  he  accordingly  followed  them. 
The  sons  of  Jacob  saw  their  younger  brother  afar  off 
and  resolved  on  slaying  him,  but  Reuben  persuaded  them 
to  throw  him  alive  into  a  pit,  thinking  to  deliver  him  af- 
terward and  return  him  to  his  father.  The  brethren  then 
stripped  Joseph  of  his  coat  and  threw  him  into  a  dry  pit ; 
but  shortly  afterward  some  Ishmaelite  [Arabian]  mer- 
chants passed  by,  and,  upon  Judah's  proposition,  the 
ten  brethren,  whilst  Reuben  was  absent,  sold  Joseph  for 
twenty  pieces  of  silver,  and  he  was  carried  to  Egypt. 
When  Reuben  discovered  the  deed  he  rent  his  clothes, 
but  the  others  dipped  Joseph's  coat  in  the  blood  of  a  kid 
and  carried  it  to  Jacob,  who  immediately  supposed  that 
his  favorite  son  had  been  devoured  by  a  wild  beast,  and 
refused  to  be  comforted  for  his  death.  Gen.  xxxvii. 

62.  Judah  tnavries  a  Canaanite ;  his  Incest  with 
his  Daughter-in-law,  cir,  1727* — About  this  time 
Judah  married  the  daughter  of  a  certain  Canaanite 
named  Shuah,  and  begat  three  sons,  Er,  Onan,  and  She- 
lah.  Er  married  Tamar,  but  was  cut  off  for  his  sins; 
Onan,  who  was  to  have  raised  up  an  heir  to  his  brother, 
met  with  a  similar  fate ;  and  Judah  desired  Tamar  to  re- 
maui  a  widow  in  her  father's  house  until  Shelah  should 
be  grown  up.  Years  passed,  and  Judah  was  afraid  to 
marry  Shelah  to  Tamar  lest  he  should  die  like  his  breth- 
ren.    At  length  Tamar  heard  that  Judah's  wife  had  died 


B.C.  1720-1715.  GENESIS   XXXVIII.-XL.  59 

and  that  he  had  gone  with  Hirah  to  Timnath  to  shear  his 
sheep.  Tamar  accordingly  veiled  herself  as  a  harlot,  and, 
after  tempting  Judah  to  visit  her,  she  received  from  him 
his  staff,  signet,  and  bracelets  as  a  pledge  that  he  would 
send  her  a  kid,  and  returned  to  her  father's  house  before 
Judah  could  regain  his  pledges.  Three  months  afterward 
it  was  reported  to  Judah  that  Tamar  had  played  the  har- 
lot, and  he  ordered  her  to  be  brought  out  and  burnt,  when 
she  showed  him  his  pledges  and  he  acknoAvledged  his  guilt. 
She  afterward  bore  twin  sons,  Pharez  and  Zarah.  Gen. 
xxxviii. 

63.  Joseph  sold  to  Potlphar  and  imprisoned^ 
1729-1720. — Meantime,  Josej^h  was  carried  to  Egypt 
and  bought  by  Potiphar,  a  captain  of  Pharaoh's  guard. 
Here  he  rose  to  be  overseer  in  Potiphar's  household,  and 
the  house  was  blessed  for  his  sake ;  but,  having  resisted 
Potiphar's  wife,  she  falsely  accused  him,  and  he  was 
thrown  into  prison,  where  he  rose  in  the  favor  of  the 
keeper  and  kept  charge  of  the  other  prisoners.  Gen. 
xxxix. 

64.  Interprets  the  Dreams  of  Pharaoh's  Sutler 
and  Baker y  1720-17 IS,— Ahout  b.  c.  1720  the  king's 
butler  and  baker  were  cast  into  the  same  prison  by  Pha- 
raoh, where  they  each  had  a  remarkable  vision,  which 
they  described  to  Joseph.  The  butler  dreamed  that  he 
saw  a  vine  with  three  branches  bud,  blossom,  and  bring 
forth  grapes,  which  he  pressed  into  Pharaoh's  cup  and 
gave  into  Pharaoh's  hand.  This  Joseph  interpreted  to 
signify  that  in  three  days  he  should  be  released  from  his 
prison  and  restored  to  his  place,  and  the  captive  Hebrew 
begged  the  butler  then  to  remember  his  innocent  fellow- 
prisoner  and  attempt  his  release.  The  baker  dreamed 
that  he  had  three  white  baskets  on  his  head,  the  upper- 
most one  contaiuing  baked  meats  for  Pharaoh,  but  which 
were  eaten  by  the  birds  while  he  was  carrying  it.  This 
was  explained  by  Joseph  to  mean  that  he  too  should  be 
taken  from  prison  in  three  days,  but  only  to  be  hung 
upon  a  tree  for  birds  to  eat  his  flesh.  The  two  dreams 
were  fulfilled :  the  chief  baker  was  hanged  and  the  but- 
ler was  restored  to  his  place,  where  he  soon  forgot  the 
condition  of  Joseph.  Gen.  xl. 

65.  Interprets  Pharaoh's  two  Dreams,  1715, — 


60  GENESIS   XLI.  B.  c.  1715-1701. 

After  two  full  years  Pharaoh  dreamed  that  he  saw  seven 
fat  kine  come  out  of  the  river  and  feed  in  a  meadow,  but 
were  followed  by  seven  lean  kine,  who  ate  up  the  seven 
fat  ones.  Again,  he  dreamed  that  seven  full  ears  of 
corn  sprang  from  one  stalk,  and  seven  thin  ears,  blasted 
with  the  east  wind,  sprang  up  after  them  and  devoured 
them.  These  two  visions  troubled  the  king,  and  none  of 
the  Egyptian  magicians  could  interpret  them,  when  the 
chief  butler  remembered  the  interpretations  of  Joseph 
and  reported  them  to  Pharaoh.  The  Hebrew  captive 
was  hastily  released  from  prison  and  brought  to  the 
royal  presence,  where  he  thus  interpreted  the  visions. 
"  The  two  dreams,"  said  Joseph,  "  are  one :  the  seven  fat 
kine  and  seven  full  ears  are  seven  years  of  plenty,  and 
the  thin  kine  and  blasted  ears  are  seven  years  of  fam- 
ine, which  shall  follow  the  years  of  plenty  and  consume 
all  that  they  produced."  Joseph  now  advised  Pharaoh 
to  choose  a  wise  man  who  might  appoint  officers  to  take 
a  fifth  of  the  produce  during  the  seven  years  of  plenty, 
and  store  it  up  for  the  seven  years'  famine.  Gen.  xli.  1-36. 

66.  Made  chief  Muler  of  Egyjyt  and  marries  Ase~ 
nafhy  1715, — Joseph  was  now  thirty  years  old,  having 
been  thirteen  years  in  prison,  but  his  counsel  pleased  Pha- 
raoh and  his  princes,  and  he  was  immediately  exalted  to 
the  highest  honors  next  the  king,  and  married  to  Ase- 
nath,  daughter  of  Potipherah,  priest  of  On.*  Gen.  xli. 
37-45. 

67.  Seven  years'  JPlenfy,  17 15-17 OS;  Birth  of 
Manassehf  1712 ;  of  Ephrahn,  1711, — For  seven 
years  the  new  ruler  went  through  Egypt  and  collected 
corn  as  the  sand  of  the  sea  and  stored  it  up  in  vast  gran- 
aries. Two  sons  were  born  to  him  by  Asenath — Ma- 
nasseh  and  Ephraim,  who  became  the  fathers  of  two  of 
the  twelve  tribes.  Gen.  xli.  46-57. 

68.  Seveny  ears'  Famine,  17  08-17  01 ;  first  Visit  of 
tToseph's  Brethren,  1707, — A  famine  now  commenced 
and  spread  over  all  nations,  but  the  storehouses  of  Joseph 
became  the  granaries  of  the  world.  The  family  of  Jacob 
felt  the  famine,  and  the  patriarch  was  compelled  to  send 

*  On  is  the  same  as  Heliopolis,  a  celebrated  city  in  Lower  Egypt, 
whose  priests  were  particularly  renowned  for  their  learning.  See 
Herodotus,  ii.  3. 


B.  c.  1706.  GENESIS   XLII.  61 

ten  of  his  sons  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn ;  for  he  kept  back 
Benjamin,  lest  he  should  meet  with  the  supposed  fate  of 
Joseph.  The  governor  of  Egypt  recognized  his  brethren 
without  their  knowing  him,  but  he  charged  them  with 
being  spies  and  threw  them  into  prison,  but  released  them 
after  three  days,  with  the  exception  of  Simeon,  whom  he 
kept  as  a  pledge  that  they  should  bring  him  their  younger 
brother.  The  nine  sons  of  Jacob  now  returned  to  their 
father,  but  on  their  way  discovered  that  the  money  they 
had  paid  for  the  corn  was  enclosed  in  their  sacks ;  this 
terrified  Jacob,  and  he  refused  to  send  Benjamin,  though 
Reuben  offered  his  own  sons  as  a  surety  for  his  life.  Gen. 
xlii. 

69.  Second  Visit  of  Joseph^ s  Brethren,  1706,— 
Famine  at  last  compelled  Jacob  to  send  Benjamin  with 
his  other  brethren  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn,  but  the  old  man 
strictly  charged  his  sons  to  propitiate  the  Egyptian  ruler 
by  presents  and  to  take  double  money,  lest  that  which 
they  had  discovered  in  their  sacks  should  have  been 
placed  there  through  inadvertence.  On  their  arrival  in 
Egypt,  Joseph  ordered  his  steward  to  take  them  to  his 
house  and  make  ready  the  noonday  meal.  The  brethren 
were  now  frightened,  and  on  reaching  the  house  they  ex- 
plained to  the  steward  the  restoration  of  their  money,  but 
he  replied  that  he  had  received  it,  and  it  must  have  been 
their  God  who  had  restored  it ;  he  further  reassured  them 
by  bringing  out  Simeon.  Joseph  soon  followed  his  breth- 
ren and  the  meal  was  served,  but  Joseph  sat  at  one  table, 
his  brethren  at  another,  and  the  Egyptians  at  a  third,  "  as 
shepherds  were  an  abomination  to  the  Egyptians."  The 
brethren  were  entertained  liberally,  but  were  surprised  at 
finding  themselves  placed  at  table  exactly  in  the  order 
of  their  ages,  and  that  Joseph  sent  a  fivefold  portion  to 
Benjamin.  The  next  morning  they  left  the  city,  but 
Joseph  had  first  commanded  his  steward  to  restore  the 
money  as  before,  but  to  place  his  silver  cup  in  the  sack  of 
Benjamin.  They  had  not,  therefore,  proceeded  far  before 
the  steward  overtook  them  and  charged  them  with  rob- 
bery. They  immediately  protested  their  innocence,  chal- 
lenged investigation,  and  invoked  death  on  the  man  who 
should  be  proved  guilty ;  but  the  cup  was  found  with  Ben- 
jamin, and  the  distressed  brethren  were  compelled  to  re- 


62  GENESIS   XLIIL-XLV.  b.  c.  1706. 

turn  to  Joseph.  Judah  now  made  to  the  supposed  Egyp- 
tian ruler  an  affecting  relation  of  the  disappearance  of 
Joseph,  and  of  Jacob's  peculiar  affection  for  Benjamin ; 
and  then,  after  stating  that  the  death  of  their  aged  father 
would  certainly  follow  the  detention  of  his  beloved  son, 
he  offered  to  abide  himself  as  a  bondman  if  the  lad  were 
permitted  to  return.  Joseph  could  now  refrain  no  longer, 
but  speedily  told  his  brethren  that  the  brother  whom  they 
had  sold  for  a  slave  had  become  the  governor  of  Egypt ; 
he  then  assured  them  of  his  hearty  forgiveness,  and  in- 
vited both  themselves  and  Jacob  to  settle  in  Egypt  during 
the  remaining  years  of  famine.  The  invitation  w^as  sec- 
onded by  Pharaoh,  and  wagons,  changes  of  raiment,  and 
asses  laden  with  provision  were  sent  by  Pharaoh  and 
Joseph  for  the  accommodation  of  the  children  of  Israel. 
Gen.  xliii.-xlv. 

70.  Israelites  fnigrate  to  Egypt,  1706, — When 
Jacob's  sons  returned  from  Egypt,  their  venerable  father 
could  scarcely  believe  their  report;  but,  on  seeing  the 
wagons,  he  cried,  "  It  is  enough ;  Joseph  my  son  is  yet 
alive ;  I  will  go  and  see  him  before  I  die."  He  accord- 
ingly commenced  the  journey ;  and,  having  sacrificed  at 
Beersheba  and  been  again  encouraged  by  God,  he  arrived 
in  Egypt  with  his  sixty-four  sons  and  grandsons,  one 
daughter,  Dinah,  and  one  granddaughter,  Sarah,  amount- 
ing in  all  to  sixty-six  persons.  Gen.  xlvi.  26.  These,  with 
himself  and  Joseph  and  his  two  sons,  made  seventy  per- 
sons (v.  27) ;  whilst  the  sixty-six  persons,  with  his  nine 
sons'  wives,  make  the  seventy-five  persons  mentioned  in 
Acts  vii.  14.  Jacob  migrated  to  Egypt  b.  c.  1706,  being 
exactly  two  hundred  and  fifteen  years  from  the  call  of 
Abraham  in  b.  c.  1921.  Joseph  then  presented  his  father 
and  five  of  his  brethren  to  Pharaoh,  and  the  old  man, 
with  one  hundred  and  thirty  years'  experience,  declared 
that  his  years  were  evil  and  few,  and  blessed  the  Egyptian 
king.      The  land  of  Goshen*  was  then  assigned  to  the 

••■  Goshen  was  the  best  pasture-land  in  Egypt,  and  probably  included 
the  district  of  Heliopolis.  It  certainly  lay  eastward  of  the  Pelusiac 
branch  of  the  Nile,  and  stretched  to  the  desert,  or  even  to  the  Gulf  of 
Suez,  as  no  mention  is  made  of  the  Israelites  crossing  the  Nile  in  their 
exode  under  Moses. — Heeren's  A/ricq^i  Hesearches. 


B.  c.  1702-1689.  GENESIS   XLVL,   XLVIL  63 

Hebrews  for  a  residence,  as  shepherds  were  an  abomina- 
tion to  the  Egyptians.  Gen.  xlvi. ;  xlvii.  1-12. 

71.  Policy  of  JTosejih  during  the  Famine ,  1702, 

1701, — The  famine  soon  pressed  heavily  upon  the  Egyp- 
tians ;  all  their  money  had  been  spent  in  buying  corn,  and 
they  were  at  length  compelled  to  give,  first  their  cattle,  and 
afterward  their  lands,  in  exchange  for  corn.  Joseph  thus 
destroyed  the  free  proprietors  and  made  the  king  the  lord- 
paramount  of  the  soil ;  whilst  the  people  became  the  hered- 
itary tenants  of  their  sovereign,  and  paid  a  fifth  of  their 
annual  produce  as  rent  for  the  soil  they  occupied.  The 
priests  only  retained  their  estates  through  this  trying 
period.*  Gen.  xlvii.  13-26. 

72.  Dying  Acts  and  JPropJiedes  of  Jacob,  1689, 
— After  the  Hebrews  had  resided  for  seventeen  years  in 
Egypt  and  multiplied  exceedingly,  the  time  came  that 
Jacob  should  die.  The  aged  patriarch  raised  himself  on 
his  dying  bed,  and  having  blessed  his  two  grandsons 
through  Joseph,  and  blessed  Ephraim,  the  younger, 
above  Manasseh,  the  first-born,  and  made  them  both 
equal  to  his  own  sons,  he  thus  prophesied  concerning  the 
future  destinies  of  the  twelve : 

1,  Meuben,  the  first-born,  who  had  committed  incest  with 
Bilhah:  "Unstable  as  water,  thou  shalt  not  excel." 

2.  Simeon,    3,   Levi,  who   had    treacherously  slain    the 

*  Heeren  states  that  this  policy  of  Joseph  weakened  the  nation,  and 
ultimately  led  to  the  irruption  of  the  Hyksos,  or  Shepherd-kings,  who 
are  generally  supposed  to  have  been  Bedouin  Arabs.  The  administra- 
tion of  Joseph  has,  however,  been  fully  defended  by  Kitto ;  and,  in- 
deed, there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  invasion  of  the  Shepherd- 
kings  was  prior  to  the  time  of  Joseph.  We  read  that  when  Abram 
visited  Egypt,  some  centuries  before,  he  was  treated  with  great  consid- 
eration by  the  reigning  Pharaoh  (sect.  21),  though  he  was  in  the  cha- 
racter of  a  pastoral  chief,  which  was  regarded  with  abomination  by  the 
native  government  in  the  time  of  Joseph.  It  is  most  probable,  there- 
fore, that  the  pastoral  dynasty  existed  at  the  time  of  Abram's  visit,  but 
was  extinguished  prior  to  the  government  of  Joseph  ;  which  accounts  for 
the  fact  that  under  the  latter  every  nomad  shepherd  was  detested  at  the 
Egyptian  court  (sect.  69),  in  consequence  of  the  oppressive  and  humil- 
iating dominion  which  the  pastors  had  exercised  in  the  country.  This 
is  also  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Wilkinson.  Kitto  thinks  it 
not  improbable  that  the  Shepherd-kings  were  Assyrian  viceroys ;  and 
if  this  can  be  proved  by  the  future  researches  of  Mr.  Layard  or  Major 
Rawlinson,  it  will  throw  great  light  on  many  circumstances  in  the 
lives  of  the  patriarchs. 


64  GENESIS   XLVIIL,   XLIX.  b.  c.  1689. 

Shecliemites  for  their  insult  to  Dinah:  "Cursed  be  their  anger, 
for  it  was  fierce ;  and  their  wrath,  for  it  was  cruel :  I  will  divide 
them  in  Jacob,  and  scatter  them  in  Israel." 

4.  Jxidcth:  *'Thou  art  he  whom  thy  brethren  shall  praise: 
thy  hand  sliall  be  in  the  neck  of  thine  enemies ;  thy  father's  chil- 
dren shall  1dow  down  before  thee.  Judah  is  a  lion's  whelp :  from 
the  prey,  my  son,  thou  art  gone  up :  he  stooped  down,  he  couched 
as  a  lion,  and  as  an  old  lion ;  who  shall  rouse  him  up  ?  The  sceptre 
shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  until 
Shiloh  come ;  and  unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be.  .  .  . 
His  eyes  shall  be  red  with  wine,  and  his  teeth  white  with  milk." 

5,  Zebulim  :  "  Shall  be  an  haven  for  ships." 

6,  Issachar :  ''Is  a  strong  ass  couching  down  between  two 
burdens :  .  .  .  and  bowed  his  shoulder  to  bear,  and  became  a  ser- 
vant unto  tribute." 

7.  Dan:  "Shall  judge  his  people,  .  .  .  shall  be  a  serpent  by 
the  way,  and  an  adder  in  the  path." 

8*  Gad:  "A  troop  shall  overcome  him:  but  he  shall  over- 
come at  the  last." 

O,  JLsher:  "His  bread  shall  be  fat." 

10.  Naphtali:  "A  hind  let  loose;  he  giveth  goodly  words." 

11.  Joseph:  "A  fruitful  bough  by  a  well.  .  .  .  The  God  of 
thy  father,  who  sliall  help  thee;  and  the  Almighty,  who  shall 
bless  thee  with  blessings  of  heaven  above,  blessings  of  the  deep 
that  lieth  under,  blessings  of  the  breasts,  and  blessings  of  the  womb : 
.  .  .  the  blessings  of  thy  father  have  prevailed  above  the  blessings 
of  my  progenitors  unto  the  utmost  bound  of  the  everlasting  hills  : 
they  shall  be  on  the  head  of  Joseph." 

12.  Benjamin :  "Shall  ravin  as  a  wolf:  in  the  morning  he 
shall  devour  the  prey,  and  at  night  he  shall  divide  the  spoil." 
Gen.  xlviii. ;  xlix. 

73.  Fulfilment  of  Jacoh^s  Prophecies. — The  history 
of  all  the  tribes  would  furnish  striking  instances  of  the  ful- 
filment  of  these  prophecies,  and  more  particularly  the  his- 
tory of  the  descendants  of  Judah  and  Joseph.  From 
Judah  the  country  was  called  "  Judsea,"  and  the  people 
"Jews."  This  tribe  was  famous — 1.  For  its  conquests; 
2.  For  the  kingdoms  of  David  and  Solomon  ;  3.  For  the 
birth  of  the  Messiah  ;  4.  For  being  a  distinct  people,  and 
having  governors  of  their  own  down  to  the  time  of  the 
Messiah  or  Shiloh.  Moreover,  whilst  the  ten  tribes  of 
Israel  were  carried  captive  into  Assyria  and  entirely  lost, 
those  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  were  held  in  Babylonian 
captivity  for  seventy  years  only,  after  which  they  returned 
to  the  land  of  their  fathers. 

In  Joseph  the  blessing  of  Jacob  was  fulfilled,  in  his 


B.  c.  1689-1635.  GENESIS  L.  65 

being  the  progenitor  of  the  two  large  tribes  of  Epliraim 
and  Manasseh,  from  whom  sprang  the  celebrated  Joshua, 
etc. 

The  curse  of  Levi  w^as  afterward  taken  off  on  account 
of  the  pious  zeal  of  the  Levites  in  destroying  the  wor- 
shippers of  the  golden  calf  and  consecrating  themselves 
to  God. 

74.  Death  and  BuHaZ,  1689. — Having  closed  his 
prophetical  benedictions,  Jacob  charged  his  sons  to  bury 
him  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  and  yielded  up  the  ghost 
at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  forty-seven  years.  His 
body  was  embalmed  by  the  physicians  of  Joseph,  which 
process  occupied  forty  days,*  and  the  mourning  lasted 
seventy  days ;  after  which,  Joseph  obtained  the  permission 
of  Pharaoh  to  attend  the  funeral  of  his  father.  Accord- 
ingly, all  the  house  of  Jacob  and  Joseph,  together  with 
all  the  servants  of  Pharaoh  and  elders  of  Egypt,  left 
Goshen  and  buried  Jacob  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  hav- 
ing mourned  at  the  threshing-floor  of  Atad  beyond  Jordan 
for  seven  days ;  which  place  was  afterward  called  Abel- 
mizraim,  or  "the  mourning  of  the  Egyptians."  Gen.  1. 
1-13. 

75.  Joseph  again  forgives  his  Brethren, — After 
Joseph's  return  to  Egypt,  his  brethren  feared  that  he 
would  now  seek  revenge  for  their  former  cruelty,  but, 
having  sent  a  message  praying  for  his  forgiveness,  he  re- 
assured them  by  kind  words  and  good  offices.  Gen.  1. 
14-21. 

76.  Death  of  Josejyh,  1635. — At  length,  fifty-four 
years  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Joseph,  having  seen 
the  grandsons  of  his  two  sons,  felt  that  his  dying  hour 
was  approaching.  He  assured  his  brethren  that  God 
would  certainly  lead  them  to  the  land  of  promise,  and 
enjoined  them  to  carry  his  bones  with  them.  He  died, 
aged  one  hundred  and  ten  years,  and  his  body  was  em- 
balmed and  placed  in  a  coffin,  in  which  it  was  preserved 
till  the  exode  of  the  Hebrews.  Gen.  1.  22-26;  Josh, 
xxiv.  32. 

77.  JTosejyh  a  Type  of  Christ, — Joseph  was  a  type  of 

*  Herodotus  says  that  the  Egyptian  embalmers  steeped  the  body  in 
natrum  or  in  nitre  for  seventy  days  (lib.  ii.  c.  86-90). 

6*  E 


66  GENESIS   L.  B.  c.  1635. 

Christ  in  being — 1.  A  dearly-beloved  son ;  2.  A  firm  re- 
,    sister   of   temptation;    3.   An  inspired   interpreter   and 
— '    prophet ;  4.  A  patient  sufferer  of  trials  and  inflictions  ; 
5.  The  preserver  or  saviour  of  a  nation. 

78.  Scriptural  meaning  of  a  ''  Type,'' — Typical  or 
type  means  literally  "  a  resemblance,"  but  scripturally  it 
signifies  a  symbol  of  something  future,  or  an  example  de- 

\  signed  by  God  to  prefigure  that  future  thing ;  the  thing 
"  so  prefigured  is  called  an  antitype. 

79.  Typical  Intimations  of  the  3Iessia1i  in  Gene- 
sis.— The  Messiah  was  typified  in — 1.  Adam,  who  was 
the  natural  father  of  mankind,  as  Christ,  the  second 
Adam,  was  the  spiritual  father ;  2.  Noah,  who  like  Christ 
was  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  whilst  the  ark  was  a 
figure  of  our  salvation;  3.  Melchisedek,  who  was 
"  without  father,  without  mother,  without  descent,  having 
neither  beginning  of  days,  nor  end  of  life ;  but  made  like 
unto  the  Son  of  God "  (Heb.  vii.  1-3) ;  4.  Isaac  (see 
sect.  36,  note^ ;  5.  Joseph  (see  sect.  77).  Abel's  sacrifice 
and  the  offering  of  Isaac  are  also  typical  of  our  Saviour. 

80.  Prophetical  Intimations  and  their  Fulfil- 
inent. — Genesis  records  three  intimations  of  the  Mes- 
siah— viz. 

1st.  By  God  to  the  serpent :  "  It  (the  seed  of  the  woman) 
shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel." 
Gen.  iii.  15.  Fulfilment:  "When  the  fulness  of  time 
was  come,  God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman." 
Gal.  iv.  4.  "  The  God  of  peace  shall  bruise  Satan  under 
^  your  feet  shortly."  Kom.  xvi.  20.  "The  Son  of  God 
was  manifested  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the 
devil."  1  John  iii.  8.  "That  old  serpent."  Kev.  xii.  9. 
(See  also  Heb.  ii.  14.) 

2d.  By  God  to  Abraham :  "  In  thee  shall  all  the  fami- 
lies of  the  earth  be  blessed"  (Gen. xii.  3;  xviii.  18 ;  xxii. 
18);  also  to  Isaac  (Gen.  xxvi.  4),  and  to  Jacob.  Gen. 
xxviii.  14.  Fulfilment:  "I  bring  you  good  tidings  of 
great  joy  which  shall  be  to  all  people."  Luke  ii.  10.  "It 
is  evident  that  our  Lord  sprang  out  of  Judah."  Heb. 
vii.  14. 

3d.  By  Jacob  to  Judah :  "  The  sceptre  shall  not  depart 
from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet,  until 
Shiloh  come."  Gen.  xlix.  10.     Fulfilment:  "The  high 


B.  c.  1635. 


GENESIS  L. 


67 


priesthood  did  not  cease  to  exercise  their  authority  until 
A.  D.  70. — Home. 


Names,  and  Meanings  of  the  Names,  of  the  principal  Persons 

mentioned  in  Genesis. 
Adam  (earthy). 
Eve  (living). 

Cain  (possession,  or  acquisition). 
Abel  (vanity). 
Seth  (appointed). 
Enoch  (dedicated)  taken  up  into  heaven  without 

dying. 
Methuselah   (he  has  sent  his  death),  the  oldest 

man. 
Lamech  (poor,  debased). 
Noah  (rest). 

Shem  (renown),  the  progenitor  of  the  nations  of 

Asia. 
Ham  (heat),  of  Africa. 
Japheth  (enlarged,  persuading),  of  Europe. 

Terah  (breathing),  father 


of  Abraham. 


Haran  (anger),  brother 

Sarah  (lady, princess),  wife 

Laban  (shining),  nephew       I 

Lot  (wrapt  up),  nephew       J 

Isaac  (laughter),  the  child  promised  to  Sarah. 

Ishmael  (God  will  hear),  the  son  of  Hagar 
(a  stranger),  Sarah's  bondwoman,  and 
progenitor  of  the  Arabians. 

Esau  or  Edom  (red),  founder  of  Idumsea  and  the 
Edomites. 

Jacob  (heeler,  supplanter),  bought  Esau's  birth- 
right and  inherited  his  blessing,  after- 
ward called  Israel  (prevailer). 

Reuben  (vision  of  a  son). 

Simeon  (obedient). 

Levi  (associated). 

Judah  (praise). 

Issachar  (a  hiring). 

Zebulun  (dwelling). 

Joseph  (increase). 

Benjamin  (son  of  my  right  hand) 

Dan  (judging). 

Naphtali  {7ny  wrestling). 

Gad  (troop). 

Asher  (happiness). 


Antediluvian 
patriarchs. 


Sons  of 
Noah. 


Sons  of 
Abraham. 


■  Sons  of  Isaac. 


-  The  twelve  sons  of  Jacob. 


68  EXODUS.  B.  c.  1571. 

Dinah  { judgment) Jacob's  daughter. 

Manasseh  (forgetfulness).  J  •   p  . 


EXODUS. 

Ef,  "  out,"  and  oSog,  "  a  way" — the  way  out  or  going  out  from  Egypt. 

HISTORY  OP  THE  JEWS  AS  A  NOMAD  FAMILY,  FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  JOSEPH 
UNTIL  THE  BUILDING  OP  THE  TABERNACLE  AND  CONSECRATION  OF  THE 
PRIESTHOOD.     B.  C.  1635  to  1490. 


ANALYSIS. 

I.  History  of  the  Exodefrom  Egypt,  the  Journey  to  Sinai,  and 
Delivery  of  the  Law. 

MoseSf  1571 — 1451, — Condition  of  the  Jews  after  the 
death  of  Joseph,  1635-1571.— Birth  of  Moses,  1571.— His  flight  to 
Midian,  1531.— Called  by  God  at  Horeb,  1491.— Returns  to  Egypt, 
circumcises  his  son,  and  meets  Aaron,  1491. — Moses  and  Aaron 
stand  before  Pharaoh. — 1st  plague.  Blood ;  2d,  Frogs ;  3d,  Lice ; 
4th,  Flies ;  5th,  Murrain ;  6th,  Boils  ;  7th,  Hail ;  8th,  Locusts ; 
9th,  Darkness. — Passover  instituted. — 10th  plague,  Death  of  the 
first-born. — The  Exodus,  1491. — Feast  of  unleavened  bread  and 
sanctification  of  the  first-born. — Journey  from  Eaamses  to  Pihahi- 
roth. — Passage  of  the  Red  Sea. — Wanderings  to  Marah  (bitter 
water),  Elim,  and  Sin,  or  Sinai. — Water,  quails,  and  manna. — Prop- 
erties of  manna. — Journeying  to  Rephidim ;  water  obtained  from 
Horeb. — Joshua  defeats  the  Amalekites. — Visit  of  Jetliro  ;  magis- 
trates appointed. — Encampment  before  Mount  Sinai — Promulgation 
of  the  moral  law  (ten  commandments)  by  Jehovah. — Promulgation 
of  the  civil  and  ceremonial  law  through  Moses. — Idolatry  of  Israel 
with  a  golden  calf. — Renewal  of  the  tables  of  stone. — [Completion 
of  the  tabernacle,  1490,  p.  94.], page  69. 

II.  The  Moral  and  Civil  Law.'^ 

First  and  second  commandments,  against  idolatry,  false  prophets, 
divinations,  etc. — Third  commandment,  against  taking  God's  name 

*  As  the  civil  law  was  based  on  the  moral  law,  or  ten  commandments, 
it  is  in  the  present  work  analyzed  and  classified  under  each  command- 
ment for  the  convenience  of  reference. 


B.  c.  1635-1571.  EXODUS.  69 

in  vain,  blasphemy,  etc. — Fourth  commandment,  against  breaking 
the  Sabbath, — Fifth  commandment,  against  disobedience  to  parents. 
— Sixth  commandment,  against  murder;  law  of  manslaughter ;  minor 
corporal  injuries. — Seventh  commandment,  against  adultery,  unlaw- 
ful marriages,  divorcements,  fornication ;  other  matrimonial  laws. 
— Eighth  commandment,  against  stealing ;  ai-son,  trespass,  and  land- 
marks ;  men-stealing  and  fugitive  servants ;  usury,  pledges,  and 
things  committed  in  charge ;  law  respecting  heirships. — Ninth  com- 
mandment, against  false  witnessing. — TentJi  commandment,  against 
covetousness.  Miscellaneous  precepts. — Laws  eespecting  Sla- 
very  page  80. 

^  Jewish  Constitution. 

Composition  of  the  Jewish  state. — The  comitia,  or  legislative 
assemblies. — Method  and  place  of  convening  the  comitia. — Powers 
of  the  comitia. — Connection  of  the  tribes  with  each  other. — Tribu- 
nal instituted  by  the  advice  of  Jethro page  86. 

III.  The  Ceremonial  Law.* 

1.  T7ie  Tabernacle, — External  description.- — The  Holy 
AND  THE  Most  Holy  Place. — Furniture  of  the  Holy  Place,  viz.  1st. 
The  altar  of  incense;  2d,  The  shew-bread  table;  3d.  The  candle- 
stick.—i^wrni^ure  of  the  Most  Holy  Place,  viz.  1st.  The  ark,  and  its 
subsequent  history;  2d.  The  mercy-seat;  3d.  The  cherubim,  the 
Shechinah. — Coukt  of  the  Tabernacle — its  furniture,  viz.  1st. 
The  altar  of  burnt-offering ;  2d.  The  laver.        .         .        page  89. 

^  Typical  intimations  of  the  Messiah  in  Exodus.  .        page  95. 


SUMMARY. 

I.  History  of  the  Exode  from  Egypt,  the  Journey  to  Sinaiy 
and  Delivery  of  the  Law. 

81.    Condition   of  the   Jews  after  the 

^iSi-iSl""'   I>e(f^th  of   Joseph,  1635-157 1—Tf\xrmg 

the  sixty-four  years  which  extended  between 

the  death  of  Joseph  and  birth  of  Moses,t  the  Israelites 

*  The  ceremonial  law  is  divided  into  six  branches — viz.  1.  The  tab- 
ernacle; 2.  The  priests  and  Levites;  3.  Ofiferings,  including  sacrifices, 
oblations,  etc.;  4.  Feasts  and  festivals;  5.  Vows;  and,  6.  Purifications. 
Of  these,  the  first  only  is  to  be  found  in  Exodus ;  the  remaining  five 
are  contained  in  Leviticus.     (See  "Analysis  of  Leviticus.") 

t  The  only  historical  fact  recorded  of  the  Israelites  between  the 
death  of  Joseph  and  the  period  recorded  in  Exodus  is  to  be  found  in 
1  Chron.  vii.  21.  From  this  it  appears  that  a  body  of  Ephraimites, 
headed  by  the  sons  of  Zabad,  the  sixth  in  descent  from  Ephraim,  un- 


70  EXODUS   I.,   11.  B.  c.  1571-1541. 

had  increased  so  rapidly  as  to  alarm  the  Egyptians,  and 
another  Pharaoh*  had  ascended  the  throne,  who  knew 
not  Joseph.  The  children  of  Jacob  were  oppressed  by 
tyrannical  demands  of  personal  service ;  they  built  two 
treasure-cities,  Pithom  and  Paamses,  and  labored  in  every 
variety  of  public  work,  but  continued  to  multiply  in  spite 
of  their  bondage  and  afflictions.  Pharaoh  then  ordered 
the  two  Hebrew  midwives,  Shiphrah  and  Puah,  to  destroy 
all  the  male  infants  of  the  Israelites  ;  but  the  two  women 
did  not  comply,  and  Pharaoh  then  commanded  his  people 
to  throw  the  male  infants  of  the  Hebrews  into  the  Nile. 
Ex.  i. 

82.  Birth  of  Closes,  1571* — At  this  time  a  child 
was  born  to  two  Levites,  Amram  and  Jochebed,  and  its 
mother  was  tempted  by  its  extreme  beauty  to  conceal  it 
for  three  months ;  after  which,  she  placed  it  in  an  ark  of 
bulrushes  [papyrus]  and  laid  it  on  the  flags  beside  the 
Nile.  Here  the  child  Moses — i.  e.  "saved  from  the 
water" — was  discovered  and  adopted  by  the  daughter 
of  Pharaoh,  who  accidentally  gave  him  to  his  own 
mother  to  be  nursed,  and  had  him  educated  in  the  sev- 
eral branches  of  Egyptian  learning.  Ex.  ii.  1-10. 

83.  His  Flight  to  Midimi,  1541, — When  Moses 
was  forty  years  old  he  observed  the  burdens  of  his  breth- 
ren, and  on  one  occasion  slew  an  Egyptian  who  was 
smiting  a  Hebrew.  The  next  day  he  was  mediating  be- 
tween two  Hebrews  who  were  striving  together,  when  one 
of  them  referred  to  the  murder,  and  soon  afterward  Pha- 
raoh sought  to  slay  Moses,  and  he  was  obliged  to  flee  to 
Midian,  in  the  deserts  of  Arabia  Petrsea.  Here  he  sat 
down  by  a  well  and  assisted  the  seven  daughters  of 
Reuel,  Raguel,  or  Jethro,  priest  of  Midian — i.  e.  sheikh 
or  prince  of  a  Midianite  clan — ^to  water  their  flocks,  for  the 


dertook  a  kind  of  freebooting  expedition  into  the  land  of  the  Philis- 
tines, with  the  view  of  driving  off  the  cattle  belonging  to  the  men  of 
Gath  :  but  they  were  repulsed  by  the  Philistines  with  much  slaughter, 
and  Zabad  lost  all  his  sons. 

*  It  has  been  generally  supposed  that  this  Pharaoh  belonged  to  the 
race  of  Shepherd-kings;  but  it  has  been  proved  (see  note  to  sect.  71) 
that  these  Shepherd-kings  were  expelled  prior  to  Joseph.  Who  the 
monarch  was  that  knew  not  Joseph  must  be  left  for  future  historical 
researches  to  decide.  Present  opinions  are  conflicting  and  incon- 
clusive. 


B.  c.  1491. 


EXODUS   II.-IV.  71 


shepherds  had  tried  to  drive  them  away.  Jethro  then 
invited  Moses  into  his  house,  and  afterward  gave  him  his 
daughter  Zipporah  for  a  wife,  who  bore  a  son,  named 
Gershom.  Ex.  ii.  11-22. 

84.  Called  by  God  at  Soreb,  1491. — Forty  years 
after  this  Pharaoh  died,  and  God  heard  the  prayers  of 
the  HebreAvs  and  appeared  to  Moses,  who  was  then  eighty 
years  old,  in  a  flaming  bush,  while  he  was  keeping  his 
flocks  at  Horeb  [Sinai].  The  Almighty  first  commanded 
Moses  to  pull  off  his  shoes,  and  then  announced  himself 
as  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  desired  Moses  to  demand 
of  Pharaoh  the  deliverance  of  his  brethren,  and  to  lead 
them  to  Canaan.  Moses  was  diffident  of  his  success  with 
Pharaoh,  and  afraid  that  the  Israelites  would  desire  to 
know  the  name  of  that  God  who  had  sent  him ;  but  the 
Lord  replied,  "  I  AM  THAT  I  AM,"  and  desired  Moses 
to  tell  the  Hebrews  that  the  God  of  their  fathers  had  sent 
him  to  lead  them  from  Egypt  to  Canaan,  and  to  request 
of  Pharaoh  permission  for  them  to  go  three  days'  journey 
into  the  wilderness  to  worship  their  God.  He  then  fur- 
ther encouraged  Moses  by  the  tw^o  miracles  of  the  ser- 
pent-rod and  the  leprous  hand,  assuring  him  that  if  these 
should  fail  with  Pharaoh,  other  miraculous  signs  and 
plagues  should  follow,  and  that,  as  he  was  wanting  in 
eloquence,  his  brother  Aaron  should  be  spokesman  to  the 
people.  Ex.  ii.  23-25 ;  iii. ;  iv.  1-17. 

85.  3Ioses  returns  to  Egypt,  circtitncises  his  Son, 
and  meets  Aaron,  14=91. — Moses  now  returned  to  Jeth- 
ro, and  obtained  permission  to  visit  his  brethren.  On  his 
way  from  Midian  to  Egypt  he  was  met  by  an  angel  of 
the  Lord,  who  sought  to  kill  him,  upon  which  his  wife 
Zipporah  circumcised  their  son.  Meantime,  Aaron,  the 
elder  brother  of  Moses  by  the  same  parents,  by  a  divine 
command  went  to  meet  Moses  in  the  wilderness ;  and  the 
two  brothers  arrived  at  Egypt,  assembled  the  elders  of 
Israel*  and  told  their  mission,  and  confirmed  it  by  the 
two  signs  of  the  serpent-rod  and  leprous  hand.  Ex.  iv. 
18-31. 

86.  Moses  and  Aaron  stand  before  Pharaoh, — 


*  For  an  account  of  the  political  and  civil  condition  of  the  elders  of 
Israel,  see  "Jewish  Constitution,"  sect.  133, 


72  EXODUS   V.-IX.  B.  c.  1491. 

Moses,  who  was  eighty  years  old,  and  Aaron,  eighty-three 
years,  then  entered  Pharaoh's  presence  and  requested  per- 
mission for  the  Hebrews  to  go  three  days' journey  into 
the  wilderness  to  sacrifice  to  Jehovah ;  but  Pharaoh  not 
only  contemptuously  refused,  but  added  to  the  burdens 
of  the  Israelites  by  obliging  them  to  collect  the  straw 
with  which  to  make  the  bricks.  Moses  shrank  from  ap- 
pearing again  before  Pharaoh,  but  in  answer  to  his  reit- 
erated objections  fresh  assurances  were  given  of  the  divine 
presence  and  protection.  The  two  brethren  again  entered 
Pharaoh's  presence,  when  Aaron's  rod  was  transformed 
into  a  serpent  before  him ;  and  though  the  Egyptian  en- 
chanters were  permitted  to  imitate  the  miracle  with  their 
rods,  yet  that  of  Aaron  swallowed  them  all  up.  Ex.  v. ; 
vi.;  vii.  1-13. 

87.  The  Ten  Plagues, — The  heart  of  Pharaoh  was 
still  hardened,  and  the  plagues  threatened  by  Jehovah 
were  now  to  be  accomplished. 

88.  First  Plague,  Blood. — Rivers,  pools,  and  all 
water  in  vessels  were  turned  to  blood  for  seven  days,  and 
the  fishes  died.  The  enchanters  imitated  the  miracle. 
Ex.  vii.  19-25. 

89.  Second  Plague,  Frogs, — The  river  [Nile]  brought 
forth  swarms  of  frogs,  and  the  enchanters  imitated  the 
miracle,  but  could  not  remove  the  plague.  Pharaoh  beg- 
ged for  relief  and  promised  compliance  to  Moses,  but  af- 
ter the  frogs  were  destroyed  he  recalled  his  w^ord.  Ex. 
viii.  1-15. 

90.  Third  Plague,  Lice, — The  dust  turned  to  lice, 
and  the  enchanters  failed  to  imitate  this  miracle;  but 
Pharaoh  continued  hardened.  Ex.  viii.  16-19. 

91.  Fourth  Plague,  Flies, — All  Egypt  except  Goshen 
swarmed  with  flies.  Pharaoh  begged  the  Israelites  to  wor- 
ship where  they  were,  which  Moses  refused.  He  then 
promised  to  let  them  go  into  the  wilderness;  but  when 
the  flies  had  vanished,  he  again  broke  his  w^ord.  Ex.  viii. 
20-32. 

92.  Fifth  Plague,  Murrain, — A  deadly  murrain  at- 
tacked the  Egyptian  cattle  only,  and  left  the  Israelite 
herds  untouched;  but  Pharaoh  was  still  hardened.  Ex. 
ix.  1-7. 

93.  Sixth  Ploifue,  Boils  and  Blains. — Moses  flung 


B.  c.  1491.  EXODUS   IX.,  X.  73 

ashes  toward  heaven,  which  turned  to  dust  and  produced 
boils  and  blains  upon  man  and  beast,  incUiding  the  ma- 
gicians ;  but  Pharaoh  was  still  hardened.  Ex.  ix.  8-12. 

94.  Seventh  Plague,  Hail. — Hail  was  now  threat- 
ened, but  Pharaoh  was  still  hardened,  though  some  of 
the  Egyptians  placed  their  cattle  in  safety.  Fire  and 
hail  then  destroyed  man,  beast,  herb,  tree,  barley,  and 
flax.  Pharaoh  again  entreated  Moses ;  but  when  the 
storm  was  allayed,  he  refused  to  let  the  Israelites  go. 
Ex.  ix.  13-35. 

95.  Eighth  Tlague,  Locusts, — Moses  threatened  lo- 
custs, when  Pharaoh  offered  to  let  the  Israelites  go  for 
the  three  days  if  they  would  leave  their  children  and 
cattle  as  hostages.  This  was  rejected,  and  locusts  de- 
voured all  that  the  hail  had  left.  Pharaoh  again  prom- 
ised, was  again  relieved,  but  again  broke  his  word.  Ex. 
x.  1-20. 

96.  Ninth  Plague,  Barhness, — Darkness  covered  all 
Egypt  save  Goshen  for  three  days.  Pharaoh  offered  to 
let  the  Israelites  go  if  they  would  leave  their  flocks  and 
herds  as  security  for  their  return.  But  this  proposition 
was  rejected,  as  the  cattle  would  be  required  for  the  sac- 
rifices. Moses  then  threatened  the  death  of  the  first-born, 
but  Pharaoh  ordered  both  Moses  and  Aaron  from  his 
presence,  and  assured  them  of  death  if  they  again  en- 
tered it.   Ex.  X.  21-29. 

97.  Passover  Instituted. — Moses  now  at  God's  com- 
mand ordered  each  of  the  elders  of  Israel  to  choose  a  male 
lamb  of  the  first  year,  without  blemish,  from  the  sheep  or 
goats,  one  for  every  family  or  for  two  small  families  unit- 
ing. The  lamb  was  to  be  chosen  on  the  tenth  day  of  the 
month,  and  eaten  on  the  evening  of  the  fourteenth  day ; 
and  the  month  [Abib,  corresponding  to  part  of  March 
and  April]  was  from  that  time  to  be  called  the  first 
month  of  theu'  year,  though  previously  it  had  been 
counted  as  the  seventh.*  The  Hebrews  were  to  kill  the 
lamb  in  the  evening  and  sprinkle  its  blood  over  the  door- 
posts with  a  bunch  of  hyssop,  that  the  destroying  angel 
might  know  their  houses  and  pass  them  by.  They  w^ere 
also  to  roast  the  lamb  whole  and  eat  it  with  unleavened 

••■  From  this  time  the  Israelites  reckoned  Abib  as  the  first  month  of 
their  sacred  year,  but  as  the  seventh  of  their  civil  year. 

7 


74  EXODUS   XL.   XII. 


B.  c.  1491. 


bread  and  bitter  herbs,  and  to  eat  it  in  haste,  with  their 
•loins  girded,  their  shoes  on  their  feet,  and  their  staves  in 
their  hands.  Foreigners,  hired  servants,  and  uncircum- 
cised  strangers  were  not  to  eat  it,  and  what  was  left  in 
the  morning  was  to  be  burnt.  Defiled  and  unclean  per- 
sons could  not  eat  it  until  purified ;  then  they  might 
keep  it  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  second  month. 
This  feast  was  to  be  kept  as  an  ordinance  for  ever.  (See 
sect.  188.)  Ex.  xii.;  xiii.  1-16. 

98.  Tenth  Flague,  Death  of  the  First-horn ;  Eoc- 
ocle  of  the  Hebreivs,  1491, — The  awful  hour  at  length 
arrived,  and  whilst  the  Hebrews  were  eating  the  paschal 
lamb  the  Lord  smote  all  the  first-born  of  the  Egyptians, 
both  man  and  beast.  Amid  the  fearful  mournings  which 
ensued,  Pharaoh  hastily  summoned  Moses  and  Aaron  and 
commanded  both  them  and  the  Israelites  to  depart.  The 
Egyptians  cried,  "  We  be  all  dead  men,"  and  readily  lent 
jewels  and  raiment  to  the  Hebrew^s  to  expedite  their  ex- 
ode  ;  whilst  the  latter  were  compelled  to  carry  off  their 
dough  in  its  unleavened  state,  bound  upon  their  shoul- 
ders in  leathern  kneading-troughs.  Ex.  xi.;  xii.  29-36."^ 

*  Individual  Design  and  Character  of  the  Miracles  in  Egypt. — The  mir- 
acle of  the  ser2)eitt-rod  of  Aaron  authenticated  the  mission  of  Moses 
and  proved  the  fallacy  of  the  serpent-worship  of  the  Egyptians.  The 
plagues  of  blood  and  frogs  were  directed  against  the  worship  of  the 
Nile.  The  plague  of  lice  was  a  general  judgment  on  Egyptian  idola- 
try, by  the  laws  of  which  the  priests  wore  only  linen  garments,  and 
shaved  their  whole  bodies  once  a  day  to  guard  against  the  slightest 
risk  of  contamination  from  so  impure  an  insect.  The  plague  of  flies 
was  designed  to  destroy  the  trust  of  the  people  in  Beelzebub — i.  e.  "lord 
of  flies" — who  was  supposed  to  protect  them  from  such  ravenous  swarms. 
The  murrain  which  destroyed  the  cattle  also  aimed  at  the  destruction 
of  the  entire  system  of  brute-worship  amongst  the  Egyptians.  The 
plague  of  hoils  and  Mains  will  be  better  understood  by  the  mention  of 
the  following  fact.  Human  victims  were  occasionally  burnt  alive  on 
several  altars  to  propitiate  Typhon,  or  the  evil  principle,  after  which 
the  officiating  priest  cast  their  ashes  into  the  air  in  order  that  evil 
might  be  averted  from  every  spot  to  which  an  atom  was  wafted.  Moses 
cast  a  handful  of  the  ashes  into  the  air,  which,  instead  of  averting  the 
evil,  brought  down  boils  and  blains,  and  thus  made  the  bloody  rites  of 
Typhon  a  curse  to  the  idolaters.  The  plague  of  the  locusts  showed  the 
impotence  of  Serapis,  Avho  was  supposed  to  protect  the  country  against 
these  destructive  insects,  which  now  appeared  and  retired  only  at  the 
command  of  Moses.  The  plagues  of  hail  and  darkness  were  directed 
against  the  worship  of  Isis  and  Osiris — the  sun  and  moon — who  were 
supposed  to  control  the  light  and  the  elements.  Thus  Jehovah,  the 
Lord  of  hosts,  summoned  nature  to  proclaim  him  the  true  God.  The 
God  of  Israel  asserted  his  supremacy,  and  exerted  his  power  to  degrade 


B.C.  1491.  EXODUS   XXL,   XIII.  75 

99.  Feast  of  Unleavened  Bread  and  Safictification 
of  the  First-horn, — In  remembrance  of  these  events  the 
Israelites  were  ordered  to  eat  unleavened  bread  during  the 
seven  days  after  the  passover  for  ever — viz.  from  the  four- 
teenth day  of  Abib  till  the  twenty-first.  (See  sect.  188.) 
They  were  also  commanded  to  sanctify  the  first-born  male 
of  both  man  and  beast  to  Jehovah,  but  they  might  re- 
deem the  firstling  of  an  ass  with  a  lamb,  and  their 
children  with  money.  (See  sect.  182.)  Ex.  xii.  15-20 ; 
xiii.  1-16. 

100.  Journey  from  Haamses  to  Pihaliiroth. — The 
Israelites,  to  the  number  of  600,000,  exclusive  of  children, 
left  Kaamses  with  their  cattle  and  a  mixed  multitude  of 
people  exactly  four  hundred  and  thirty  years  from  the 
calling  of  Abraham — viz.  b.  c.  1921-1491 — having  dwelt 
in  Egypt  two  hundred  and  fifteen  years — viz.  B.  c.  1706- 
1491.  They  left  Egypt  harnessed — i.  e.  five  in  a  rank — 
and  carried  with  them  the  bones  of  Joseph,  according  to 
his  dying  injunction ;  and,  being  led  by  a  pillar  of  cloud  by 
day  and  of  fire  by  night,  they  encamped  successively  at 
Succoth*  and  Etham,  and  at  length  reached  Pihahiroth, 
on  the  western  arm  of  the  Ked  Sea,  after  making  a  cir- 
cuitous route  through  the  wilderness.  Ex.  xiii.  17-22. 

101.  Passage  of  the  Med  Sea, — Meantime,  Pharaoh 
repented  the  liberation  of  the  Hebrews,  and  hastily  pur- 
sued them  with  six  hundred  chariots  and  a  host  of  cav- 
alry. The  trembling  Israelites  at  Pihahiroth  saw  the 
army  approaching,  and  cried  to  Moses,  "Because  there 
were  no  graves  in  Egypt,  hast  thou  taken  us  away  to  die 
in  the  wilderness  ?"  Moses  replied,  "  Fear  ye  not,  stand 
still  and  see  the  salvation  of  the  Lord."  The  angel  of 
God  then  removed  the  pillar  of  cloud  to  the  rear,  where 
it  became  a  light  to  the  Israelites  and  a  darkness  to  the 
Egyptians.     The  outstretched  hand  of  Moses  then  opened 

the  idols,  destroy  idolatry,  and  liberate  the  descendants  of  Abraham 
from  the  land  of  their  bondage.  And  in  the  last  miracle  of  all,  when 
the  "angel  of  pestilence  breathed  in  the  face"  of  all  the  first-born  of 
the  land,  the  true  God  showed  himself  to  be  a  God  not  only  of  power, 
but  of  judgment,  and  as  such  to  be  feared  by  the  wicked  and  reverenced 
by  all. 

*  Succoth  signifies  "  tents  "  or  "  booths,"  and  the  name  therefore  only 
appears  to  denote  a  place  where  caravans  passing  that  way  usually  en- 
camped. This  Succoth  must  not  therefore  be  mistaken  for  the  Succoth 
near  the  banks  of  the  river  Jahhok  where  Jacob  encamped  (sect.  55). 


76  EXODUS   XIV.-XVI.  B.  c.  1491. 

a  path  for  the  fugitives  through  the  obedient  waves.  The 
presumjDtuous  monarch  dared  to  follow  in  their  track,  but 
was  checked  by  the  loss  of  his  chariot-wheels ;  and  when 
the  Hebrews  had  reached  the  opposite  shore  in  safety, 
the  chivalry  of  Egyjit  was  buried  beneath  the  returning 
waters.  The  triumph  was  celebrated  by  the  song  of 
Moses,  the  timbrel  of  his  sister  Miriam,  and  the  dances 
of  the  Israelite  women.  Ex.  xiv. ;  xv.  1-21. 

102.  Wanderings  to  3Iara7i,  Elhn,  and  Sin; 
Water,  Quails,  and  3Ianna  sent, — Having  thus 
crossed  the  Eed  Sea,  the  Israelites  entered  the  wilder- 
ness of  Shur,  where  they  wandered  three  days  without 
finding  water ;  at  length,  journeying  southward,  they  ob- 
tained a  supply  at  Marah,  but  on  account  of  its  bitter- 
ness reproached  Moses,  who  then  healed  it  by  casting  in 
a  tree.  From  Marah  they  proceeded  still  on  a  southward 
course  to  Elim,  where  there  were  twelve  wells  and  sev- 
enty -palm  trees,  and  from  thence  they  entered  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sin,  which  lies  between  Elim  and  Sinai.  At  Sin 
their  provisions  were  exhausted,  and  they  again  mur- 
mured and  regretted  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt,  but  the 
same  evening  quails  were  sent,  and  the  following  morn- 
ing God  rained  bread  from  heaven  and  manna  began 
to  descend.  Ex.  xv.  22-27 ;  xvi.  1-15. 

103.  Properties  of  Manna. — Manna,  "  the  bread  of 
heaven  "  (Heb.  manhu,  "  what  is  it  ?"),  was  found  upon 
the  ground  every  morning  like  hoar-frost  or  coriander 
seed,  and  tasted  like  honey  wafers.  Every  morning  each 
man  gathered  about  one  omer,  or  five  pints,  for  the  day's 
eating,  and  on  the  sixth  day  two  omers,  or  ten  pints  ;  and 
thus  it  fed  the  Hebrews  during  forty  years,  and  Aaron 
was  commanded  to  lay  up  an  omer  of  it  [five  pints]  in  a 
pot  as  a  lasting  memorial.  It  had  five  miraculous  qual- 
ities :  1.  It  only  fell  six  days  in  the  week,  and  not  on  the 
Sabbath ;  2.  A  double  quantity  fell  on  the  sixth  day  as  a 
supply  for  the  Sabbath ;  3.  That  which  was  gathered  on 
the  first  five  days  was  putrid  if  kept  more  than  one  day, 
but  that  which  was  gathered  on  the  sixth  day  remained 
sweet  for  two  days ;  4.  It  sustained  nearly  three  million 
of  souls ;  5.  It  ceased  to  fall  after  the  Israelites  had  en- 
tered Canaan.  Ex.  xvi. 

104.  tfoumey  to  JRephidini ;  Water  obtained  from 


B.  c.  1491.  EXODUS   XVIL,   XVIII.  7? 

Horeh, — From  Sin  the  Israelites  journeyed  to  Kephidim, 
where  they  thirsted  for  water,  and  again  reproached 
Moses  and  were  almost  ready  to  stone  him ;  but  he  prayed 
to  God,  and  obtained  a  miraculous  supply  by  striking  his 
rod  against  the  rock  in  Horeb,  which  he  afterward  called 
Massah,  or  "  temptation,"  and  Meribah,  or  "  strife."  This 
rock  lies  to  the  south  of  Sinai.  Ex.  xvii.  1-7. 

105.  Joshua  defeats  the  Anialekites, — At  Kephidim, 
Moses  commanded  Joshua  to  choose  an  army  and  attack 
Amalek,  whilst  he  himself  stood  on  the  hill,  attended  by 
Aaron  and  Hur  and  with  the  rod  of  God  in  his  hand. 
Joshua  accordingly  fought  against  the  Amalekites  and 
prevailed  whilst  Moses  held  up  his  hands,  but  was  re- 
pulsed if  his  hands  fell  down.  Aaron  and  Hur  then 
placed  a  stone  for  Moses  to  sit  on,  and,  standing  on  each 
side  of  him,  they  held  up  his  hands  till  the  sun  had  set 
and  Amalek  had  been  defeated.  Moses,  in  obedience  to 
God,  recorded  the  victory  in  a  book  and  built  an  altar — 
Jehovah-nissi,  or  "  The  Lord  my  banner."  Ex.  xvii.  8-16. 

106.  Visit  of  Jethro ;  Magistrates  appointed, — 
Jethro,  or  Keuel,  the  father-in-law  of  Moses,  having  heard 
of  the  wonders  God  had  performed,  visited  his  son-in-law, 
bringing  with  him  Zipporah  and  her  two  sons  by  Moses — 
viz.  Gershom  and  Eliezer.  Moses  went  out  to  meet  Jethro, 
and  received  him  affectionately.  Jethro  then  offered  a 
sacrifice  to  Jehovah,  and  joined  with  Moses,  Aaron,  and 
the  elders  of  Israel  in  a  solemn  feast.  The  next  day 
Jethro  observed  that  Closes  judged  the  people  from  morn- 
ing till  evening,  and  that  the  duty  was  too  heavy;  he 
therefore  advised  him  to  appoint  subordinate  judges  over 
thousands,  hundreds,  fifties,  and  tens  to  decide  in  small 
matters,  whilst  he  himself  only  settled  the  more  difficult 
causes.  Moses  followed  this  counsel,  and  Jethro  then  re- 
turned to  his  o^vn  land.*  Ex.  xviii. 

107.  Encampment  before  3Iount  Sinai. — In  tlie 
third  month  from  the  exodus  the  Israelites  had  left  Keph- 
idim and  encamped  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai  before 
the  mount,  which  was  situated  toward  the  south  of  the 
peninsula  of  Arabia  Petrsea,  which  lies  between  the  two 


*  For  a  further  account  of  these  magistrates,  see  "  Jewish  Constitu- 
tion," sect.  133. 

7* 


78  EXODUS   XIX.,   XX.  B.  c.  1491. 

northern  arms  of  the  Eed  Sea.  Here  the  Lord,  having 
reminded  them  through  Moses  of  the  deliverance  he  had 
wrought,  called  upon  them  to  obey  his  commands.  He 
then  spoke  to  Moses  out  of  a  thick  cloud,  and  ordered 
him  to  direct  the  people  to  cleanse  themselves  and  wash 
their  clothes,  and  to  be  ready  on  the  third  day ;  and  none 
were  to  touch  the  mount,  either  man  or  beast,  on  pain  of 
death.  Ex.  xix. 

108.  Promulgation  of  the  Moral  Law, — The  third 
day  was  ushered  in  with  thunders  and  lightnings ;  fire  and 
smoke  enveloped  the  mount,  and  the  trumpet  of  the  Lord 
summoned  the  people  to  the  appointed  audience,  when 
Jehovah  came  down  from  Sinai  in  a  thick  cloud  and  pro- 
mulgated the  ten  commandments  to  the  terrified  assem- 
bly. Ex.  XX.  1,  18. 

109.  The  Civil  and  Ceremonial  Law, — The  people 
then  retired  from  their  fearful  proximity  to  Deity,  and 
begged  Moses  that  they  might  receive  the  future  laws 
from  him  instead  of  from  Jehovah,  swearing  to  perform 
all  that  God  should  command.  Moses  accordingly  as- 
cended the  mount  to  receive  from  God  a  more  detailed 
code  of  civil  and  ceremonial  law.  At  first  he  went  up 
alone,  but  he  was  subsequently  partly  attended  by  Aaron 
and  his  two  sons,  Nadab  and  Abihu,  and  by  the  seventy 
elders  of  Israel,  who  worshipped  afar  ofi"  whilst  the  laws 
were  being  written  and  delivered  to  Moses  by  Jehovah  on 
two  tables  of  stone,  called  the  Tables  of  the  Law,  or  Tables 
of  the  Covenant.  They,  however,  all  saw  the  God  of 
Israel  with  the  semblance  of  paved  work  of  a  sapphire 
stone  under  his  feet.  Moses  also  dwelt  in  the  cloud  that 
rested  on  the  mount  seven  days  with  his  servant  Joshua, 
whilst  the  charge  of  the  people  was  delegated  to  Aaron 
and  Hur ;  but  on  the  seventh  day  Moses  alone  was  called 
into  the  midst  of  the  cloud,  where  he  stayed  for  forty 
days  and  forty  nights.  Moses  also  built  an  altar  and 
twelve  pillars,  according  to  the  twelve  tribes ;  and,  offer- 
ing up  a  sacrifice  of  peace-offerings  of  oxen,  he  sprinkled 
the  blood  partly  on  the  altar,  partly  on  the  book  of  the 
covenant,  and  partly  on  the  people,  who  then  pledged 
themselves  to  obey  all  the  words  of  Jehovah.  Jehovah, 
having  given  to  Moses  the  two  tables,  revealed  to  him 
the  idolatry  of  Israel  and  his  intention  to  consume  them ; 


B.  c.  1491.  EXODUS   XX.-XXXIII.  79 

but  Moses  interceded  for  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and  the 
Lord  repented  of  the  evil  which  he  thought  to  do.  Ex. 
XX.  18,  21 ;  xxiv. ;  xxxi.  18 ;  xxxii.  7-14. 

110.  Idolatry  of  Israel  with  a  Golden  Calf ;  three 
thousand  slain. — Meantime,  the  Hebrews,  having  grown 
impatient  at  the  absence  of  their  leader,  forgetful  of  their 
recent  terrors,  and  unmindful  of  their  promises  of  obedi- 
ence, had  given  their  golden  earrings  to  Aaron  and  pre- 
vailed upon  him  to  make  them  a  molten  calf,*  which  they 
then  worshipped  as  their  deliverer  from  Egypt.  Moses, 
having  been  informed  of  this  idolatry  by  Jehovah  and 
descended  the  mount  with  Joshua,  heard  the  noise  of 
their  worship  as  he  approached  the  camp,  and  saw  the 
calf  and  the  dancing.  His  righteous  anger  was  now  un- 
controllable. He  broke  the  two  tables  of  stone  beneath 
the  mount,  and  burnt  the  calf,  ground  it  to  powder,  and, 
mixing  its  ashes  with  water,  he  made  the  Israelites  drink 
it.  He  reprimanded  Aaron,  who  made  the  paltry  excuse 
that  he  was  forced  by  the  people  to  make  the  calf  He 
then  called  upon  the  adherents  of  Jehovah  to  fall  upon 
the  idolaters,  and  the  Levites  arose  and  slew  three  thou- 
sand of  their  brethren.  The  following  day  he  admon- 
ished the  people  of  their  sin  and  interceded  with  God,  who 
had  smitten  the  people  with  plague.  The  people  then 
humbled  themselves  and  stripped  off  their  ornaments,  and 
the  tabernacle  was  removed  without  the  camp,  w^hen  the 
pillar  of  cloud  once  more  returned,  &,nd  the  Lord,  having 
talked  familiarly  with  Moses,  favored  him  with  an  unveiled 
view  of  his  glory.  Ex.  xxxii. ;  xxxiii. 

111.  Meneival  of  the  Tables  of  Stone, — Moses  was 
now  commanded  to  hew  fresh  tables  of  stone,  upon  which 
Jehovah  would  rewrite  his  laws.  He  again  abode  upon 
Sinai  for  forty  days  and  forty  nights  without  bread  or 
water,  and  when  he  returned  to  the  camp  his  face  shone 
so  brightly  that  he  was  compelled  to  wear  a  veil  when 
conversing  with  the  Israelites.  He  then  rehearsed  to  the 
people  the  commandments  he  had  received,  and  invited 
them  to  contribute  toward  the  tabernacle  and  the  priests ; 
and  when  the  sacred  building  was  completed,  he  conse- 

*  This  golden  calf  was  no  doubt  in  imitation  of  the  Egyptian  Apis. 
See  Herodotus,  ii.  38. 


80  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  B.  c.  1491. 

crated  Aaron  and  his  sons  according  to  divine  appoint- 
ment. (See  "Consecration  of  Priests,"  sect.  166.)  Ex. 
xxxiv. ;  XXXV. ;  xl. 

II.  Moral  and  Civil  Law. 

112.  First  and  Second  ConnnandfuentSf  against 
Idolaters,  False  Frophets,  IHvination,  etc, — Who- 
ever sacrificed  to  any  god  save  Jehovah  was  to  be  utterly 
destroyed.  Ex.  xxii.  20.  Whoever  gave  his  seed  to  Mo- 
loch was  to  be  stoned.  Lev.  xxi.  1-5.  All  wizards  and 
those  who  had  familiar  spirits  were  to  be  stoned.  Lev. 
xix.  31 ;  XX.  6,  27 ;  Deut.  xviii.  9-14.  Prophets  and 
dreamers  who  prophesied  in  the  name  of  false  gods  were 
to  be  stoned,  even  though  their  prophecies  came  to  pass, 
together  with  brothers,  sisters,  daughters,  wives,  or  friends 
who  enticed  to  idolatry.  If  a  prophet  presumptuously 
foretold  a  thing  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  which  never 
came  to  pass,  he  also  was  to  be  stoned.  Cities  infected 
with  idolatry  were  to  be  burnt  and  destroyed.  Deut.  xiii. ; 
xvii.  2-7.  No  alliance  or  covenant  was  to  be  made  with 
idolaters.  Ex.  xxiii.  32,  33 ;  Deut.  vii.  All  monuments 
of  idolatry  were  to  be  destroyed  (Num.  xxxiii.  50-56 ; 
Deut.  xii.  1-4),  and  none  were  to  inquire  after  other 
gods.  Deut.  xii.  29-32. 

113.  TJiird  Commandment,  against  taking  God's 
Name  in  Vain,  blasphemy,  etc, — Whoever  cursed 
God  or  blasphemed  his  name  was  to  be  stoned.  The  son 
of  Shelomith  blasphemed,  and  was  stoned  by  the  congre- 
gation. Lev.  xxiv.  10-16,  23;  Num.  xv.  30,  31. 

114.  Fourth  Commandment,  against  hr caking  the 
Sabbath, — Whoever  defiled  the  Sabbath  was  to  be  put 
to  death.  Ex.  xxxi.  12-17;  xxxv.  1-3.  A  man  gather- 
ing sticks  on  the  Sabbath  was  stoned  by  the  congregation. 
Num.  XV.  32-36.  The  seventh  day  was  to  be  kept  be- 
cause God  rested  on  the  seventh  day  when  he  created  the 
world.     This  shows  its  universal  application. 

115.  Fifth  Cofnmandment,  against  I>isobedience 
to  Parents, — Whoever  smote  or  cursed  his  father  or 
mother  was  to  be  put  to  death.  Ex.  xxi.  15, 17  ;  Lev.  xx, 
9.  A  stubborn,  drunken,  or  rebellious  son  was  to  be 
Btoned.    Deut.  xxi.  18-21. 


B.C.  1491.  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  81 

116.  Sixth  Cmnmandmentf  against  3Iurder  ;  JLaiv 
of  3Ianslattghter,  etc, — Murder,  when  it  proceeded  from 
hatred,  revenge,  or  premeditation,  and  was  proved  by 
more  than  one  witness,  was  to  be  punished  by  death  with- 
out redemption.  In  cases  of  manslaughter  where  the 
death  occurred  by  accident  or  mistake  the  murderer  might 
flee  to  one  of  the  cities  of  refuge,  of  which  three  were 
appointed  in  Canaan  and  three  east  of  the  Jordan.  The 
congregation  might  also  judge  between  the  slayer  and  the 
revenger  of  blood ;  and  if  they  found  the  accused  guilt- 
less of  wilful  murder,  they  might  restore  him  to  a  city  of 
refuge,  where,  however,  he  must  remain  until  the  death  of 
the  high  priest,  for  if  found  without  the  outskirts  the 
revenger  might  slay  him.  Ex.  xxi.  12-14;  Lev.  xxiv.  17, 
21 ;  Num.  xxxv.  9-34 ;  Deut.  xix.  1-13.  If  a  man  killed 
a  thief  breaking  into  his  house  at  night,  it  was  justifiable 
homicide ;  but  if  he  killed  the  thief  when  the  sun  was  up, 
it  was  manslaughter,  because  in  the  latter  case  the  man 
robbed  might  have  obtained  reparation  by  selling  even 
the  person  of  the  thief.  Ex.  xxii.  2,  3.  If  a  man  struck 
his  slave  not  of  Hebrew  descent,  and  the  slave  died  im- 
mediately, the  master  was  to  be  punished ;  but  if  the  slave 
survived  one  or  two  days,  the  master  escaped.  Ex.  xxi. 
20,  21.  If  a  man  was  found  murdered  and  the  murderer 
was  unknown,  the  elders  of  the  nearest  city  were  to  sacri- 
fice a  heifer  in  a  valley  neither  eared  nor  sown  and  wash 
their  hands  over  it.     Deut.  xxi.  1-9. 

117.  Minor  Corporal  Injuries, — If  a  man  injured 
another  in  a  fray,  he  was  to  pay  the  expenses  of  his  cure 
and  recompense  him  for  his  loss  of  time.  Ex.  xxi.  18,  19. 
If  a  pregnant  woman  was  hurt  in  a  fray  and  miscarried, 
her  husband  could  demand  compensation,  though  the 
amount  might  be  referred  to  arbitrators.  Ex.  xxi.  22. 
This  law  of  retaliation  did  not  extend  to  slaves ;  but  if  a 
master  knocked  out  his  slave's  eye  or  tooth,  the  slave  re- 
ceived his  freedom  as  compensation.  Ex.  xxi.  26,  27.  If 
an  ox  killed  a  man,  it  was  to  die ;  and  if  the  owner  knew 
of  its  propensity,  he  was  to  make  compensation,  but  not 
otherwise.  Ex.  xxi.  28-32. 

118.  Seventh  Coinniandment,  against  Adultery, — 
In  cases  of  adultery  both  the  man  and  woman  were  to  be 
put  to  death.  Lev.  xx.  10 ;  Deut.  xxii.  22.     If  a  man 


82  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  B.  c.  1491. 

suspected  his  mfe's  virtue,  but  could  find  no  proof,  he  was 
to  take  her  to  the  priest  with  a  jealousy-oiiering  of  the 
tenth  of  an  ephah  [about  five  pints]  of  barley-meal  with- 
out oil  or  frankincense.  The  priest  was  then  to  take  the 
jealousy-offering  from  the  woman's  hand  and  burn  it  upon 
the  altar,  and  afterward  to  take  holy  water,  and  dust  from 
the  floor  of  the  tabernacle,  and  mix  them  together,  and 
make  the  woman  drink  the  mixture,  saying  that  if  she 
was  guilty  the  water  would  make  her  belly  swell  and 
thigh  rot,  and  the  woman  was  to  reply  "Amen."  The 
water  would  afterward  prove  her  innocence  or  confirm 
the  charge.  Num.  v.  11-31.  If  a  man  defiled  a  bond- 
maid betrothed  to  a  husband,  but  unredeemed,  they  were 
not  to  be  put  to  death,  but  she  w^as  to  be  scourged,  and  he 
was  to  take  a  ram  for  a  trespass-offering  to  the  priest,  who 
would  then  make  atonement  for  his  crime.  Lev.  xix.  20-22. 

119.  Unlawful  Marriages, — A  man  might  not  marry, 
under  pain  of  death  both  to  him  and  the  woman — 1.  His 
father's  wife ;  2.  His  father  or  mother's  daughter  or  grand- 
daughter ;  3.  His  son's  wife ;  4.  A  wife  and  her  mother. 
If  he  married  the  following  he  would  die  childless :  1. 
His  father  or  mother's  sister ;  2.  His  brother's  wife  f"  3. 
His  uncle's  wife.  He  was  also  forbidden  to  marry — 1.  A 
wife  and  her  sister  whilst  the  former  was  alive;  2.  A 
heathen  woman.  Lev.  xviii.  6-18  ;  xx.  11,  12,  14,  17,  19- 
21 ;  Deut.  vii.  3. 

120.  jyivorceinents, — If,  after  marriage,  a  man  was 
dissatisfied  with  his  wife,  he  might  write  her  a  bill  of 
divorcement,  and  each  was  at  liberty  to  marry  again ;  but 
if  the  woman  did  take  a  second  husband,  she  could  never 
return  to  her  first  husband,  even  after  the  death  of  the 
second.  Deut.  xxiv.  1-4. 

121.  Forn/ication,  efc. — If  a  man  debauched  an  un- 
betrothed  maid,  he  was  to  marry  her ;  but  if  her  father 
refused  to  let  them  marry,  he  was  to  pay  her  dowry.  Ex. 
xxii.  16,  17.  In  Deuteronomy  it  is  ordered  that  the  man 
marry  the  woman  and  pay  her  father  fifty  silver  shekels 
[22f  oz.  =  £5  13s.  lOd],  and  be  deprived  of  all  power  of 
obtaining  a  divorce.  Deut.  xxii.  28,  29.     If  he  debauched 

*  If  a  man's  brother  died  childless,  however,  he  was   to  marry  his 
widow.     (See  "  Other  Matrimonial  Laws.") 


B.  c.  1491.  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  83 

a  betrothed  maid  in  the  city,  they  were  both  to  be  stoned, 
because  she  might  have  cried  out ;  if  in  the  field,  only  the 
man  was  to  be  stoned.  All  unnatural  defilement  was  to 
be  punished  by  death.  Ex.  xxii.  19 ;  Lev.  xviii.  22-30 ; 
XX.  13,  15,  16. 

122.  Other  Matrimonial  Laws, — If  a  man  ap- 
proached an  unclean  woman,  they  were  both  to  be  put  to 
death.  Lev.  xviii.  19 ;  xx.  18.  If  a  man  took  a  female 
captive  in  battle  and  desired  to  marry  her,  he  was  first  to 
shave  her  head,  pare  her  nails,  and  suffer  her  to  bewail 
her  parents  a  fiUl  month.  After  this  he  might  divorce 
her,  but  could  not  sell  her.  Deut.  xxi.  10-14.  If  a  man 
impugned  his  wife's  virginity,  her  parents  were  to  take 
the  proofs  of  it  to  the  elders ;  and  if  the  elders  were  satis- 
fied of  her  innocence,  they  were  to  chastise  the  man  and 
fine  him  one  hundred  silver  shekels  [45^  oz.  =  £11  7s.  8<i.] ; 
but  if  they  found  her  guilty,  she  was  to  be  stoned.  Deut. 
xxii.  13-21.  A  neAvly-married  man  was  not  to  go  out  to 
war  for  one  year  after  his  marriage.  Deut.  xxiv.  5.  If  a 
man's  brother  died  childless,  he  was  to  marry  the  widow, 
and  the  first-born  of  this  union  was  to  succeed  to  the  de- 
ceased brother  and  take  his  name.  If  a  man  refused  to 
marry  the  widow,  she  was  to  complain  to  the  elders,  and 
both  she  and  the  man  were  to  be  brought  before  them. 
If  the  man  then  refused  to  take  her,  she  was  to  take  off* 
his  shoe  and  spit  in  his  fiice,  and  his  name  was  to  be  called 
"  The  house  of  him  that  hath  his  shoe  loosed."  Deut.  xxv. 
5-10.  If,  when  two  men  strove  together,  the  wife  of  one 
immodestly  assisted  her  husband,  her  hand  was  to  be  cut 
off:  Deut.  xxv.  11,  12. 

123.  Eiyhth  Comrnandinentf  against  Stealing, — 
If  a  man  stole  an  ox  and  killed  or  sold  it,  he  was  to  re- 
store fivefold ;  if  a  sheep,  fourfold ;  if  either  were  found 
in  his  possession  alive,  he  was  only  to  restore  double.  If  a 
thief  was  slain  whilst  breaking  into  a  house  at  night,  no 
blood  was  to  be  shed  for  him  (sect.  116).  If  a  thief  had 
nothing  with  which  to  make  restitution,  he  was  to  be  sold 
into  slavery.  Ex.  xxii.  1-4. 

124.  Arson,  Trespass,  and  Landmarks, — If  a  fire 
broke  out  and  consumed  either  standing  corn  or  stacks, 
whoever  kindled  it  was  to  make  restitution.  Ex.  xxii.  6. 
If  a  man  put  his  beast  into  another  man's  field  or  vine- 


84  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  B.  c.  1491. 

yard,  he  was  to  make  double  restitution.  Ex.  xxii.  5,  9. 
Old  landmarks  were  never  to  be  removed.  Deut.  xix.  14. 

125.  3Ieu-stealing   and  Fugitive   Servants. — If  a 

man  stole  an  Israelite  and  sold  him,  he  was  to  be  put  to 
death.  Deut.  xxiv.  7.  Fugitive  servants  were  not  to  be 
delivered  up  or  oppressed.  Deut.  xxiii.  15,  16.  (See  also 
sect.  132.) 

1 26.  Law  of  Sale, — In  the  sabbatical  year  all  debts  were 
to  be  remitted  save  those  incurred  by  foreigners,  and  in 
the  jubilee  year  all  land-possessions  were  to  be  restored. 
Deut.  XV.  1-3 ;  Lev.  xxv.  8-24.  If  a  man  had  been  com- 
pelled by  poverty  to  sell  his  estate,  the  price  of  its  re- 
demption wavS  to  be  regulated  by  the  number  of  years 
before  the  jubilee  year.  Lev.  xxv.  25-28.  If  a  man  sold 
a  house  in  a  walled  city,  he  might  redeem  it  within  a  year 
of  the  sale ;  but  after  that  he  could  never  redeem  it,  nor 
would  it  revert  to  him  at  the  jubilee.  The  houses  in  un- 
Avalled  villages  and  those  in  Levitical  cities  might  be 
redeemed  at  any  time,  and  w^ould  revert  to  the  original 
l^ossessor  in  the  jubilee.  Lev.  xxv.  29-34. 

127.  Usury,  Pledges,  and  Tilings  committed  in 
Charge, — If  a  man  borrowed  anything  of  his  neighbor 
and  it  died  or  was  hurt,  he  was  to  make  it  good,  unless 
the  owner  were  with  it  or  hire  was  paid  for  it.  Ex.  xxii. 
14,  15.  Money  might  be  lent  to  a  stranger  upon  usury, 
but  not  to  an  Israelite.  No  usury  was  to  be  charged  to 
a  poor  man,  whether  stranger  or  not.  Ex.  xxiii.  25  ;  Lev. 
xxv.  35-47 ;  Deut.  xxiii.  19,  20.  Any  raiment  taken  as 
pledge  was  to  be  returned  by  sunset.  Ex.  xxiii.  26,  27. 
If  a  man  received  money  or  stuff  to  keep  for  another, 
and  it  was  stolen  whilst  under  his  charge,  the  thief,  when 
found,  was  to  pay  double.  If  the  thief  could  not  be  found, 
the  man  himself  was  to  be  tried  by  the  judges.  Ex.  xxii. 
7,  8. 

128.  Laiv  respecting  Heirships. — The  land  of  Ca- 
naan was  to  be  divided  by  lot  among  the  Israelite  fam- 
ilies according  to  their  tribes,  and  each  family  was  to 
keep  their  inheritance  for  ever ;  for  if  sold  it  was  to  re- 
vert to  its  original  possessors  in  the  jubilee  year.  Num. 
xxxiii.  50-56.  The  sons  always  equally  inherited  their 
father's  possession,  except  the  first-born,  who  received  a 
double  portion ;  and  in  no  case  was  the  first-born  to  be 


B.C.  1491.  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  85 

disinherited — not  even  if  a  man  had  two  wives  and  loved 
one  and  hated  the  other,  and  his  first-born  was  the  son  of 
the  hated  wife.  Deut.  xxi.  15-17.  If  a  man  died  without 
sons,  the  possession  went  to  his  daughters — a  privilege 
first  obtained  by  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad ;  only,  in 
such  cases,  the  daughters  were  not  to  marry  out  of  their 
father's  tribe.  If  a  man  left  neither  sons  nor  daughters, 
his  230ssession  went  to  his  brethren ;  if  he  left  no  breth- 
ren, it  went  to  his  father's  brethren ;  and  if  his  father 
had  no  brethren,  it  went  to  his  nearest  kinsman.  Num. 
xxvi.  52-56 ;  xxvii.  1-11 ;  xxxvi. 

129.  Ninth  Coniniandmentf  against  False  Wit' 
nessing, — Whoever  concealed  his  knowledge  of  a  sin 
Avas  to  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  sinner.  Lev.  v.  1.  Two 
or  more  witnesses  were  required  to  establish  a  criminal 
accusation.  Deut.  xvii.  6. 

130.  Tenth  Connnandment,  against  Covetousness, 
— No  one  was  to  desire  anything  belonging  to  his  neigh- 
bor. Ex.  XX.  17.  No  money  was  to  be  lent  to  the  poor 
on  usury.  Ex.  xxii.  25.  No  unjust  weights  or  balances 
were  to  be  used.  Lev.  xix.  35,  36. 

131.  Miscellaneous  Precepts, — A  kid  was  not  to  be 
seethed  in  its  mother's  milk.  Ex.  xxiii.  19.  The  stranger 
was  not  to  be  oppressed.  Ex.  xxiii.  9.  Fat  or  blood,  or 
unclean  beasts,  birds,  or  fish,  or  beasts  that  had  died  a 
natural  death,  might  not  be  eaten.  Lev.  iii.  17 ;  xii. ; 
Deut.  xiv.  Gleanings  were  to  be  left  to  the  poor  and 
the  stranger.  Wages  due  were  not  to  be  kept  till  morn- 
ing. Talebearers  were  denounced.  Cattle  of  different 
species  were  to  be  kept  distinct,  and  mingled  seeds  were 
not  to  be  sown  in  a  garden.  Lev.  xix. ;  Deut.  xxii.  9. 
Israelites  were  not  to  cut  themselves  or  shave  their  heads 
for  the  dead.  Deut.  xiv.  1,  2.  Strayed  or  fallen  cattle 
were  always  to  be  assisted.  Neither  men  nor  women 
were  to  wear  each  other's  apparel.  In  taking  nests,  the 
dam  was  never  to  be  taken  with  the  young.  Battle- 
ments were  to  be  built  to  the  roofs  of  houses.  Deut.  xxii. 
A  neighbor's  grapes  or  standing  corn  might  be  gathered 
and  eaten,  but  not  carried  away.  Deut.  xxiii.  24, 25.  Con- 
troversies were  to  be  referred  to  arbitrators.  Oxen  were 
not  to  be  muzzled  when  treading  out  corn.  Deut.  xxv. 

132.  Ziaw  respecting  Slavery. — Men  became  slaves 


86  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  B.  c.  1491. 

by  the  following  means — viz.  1.  Captivity  in  war;  2. 
Debts,  w^hen  the  debtor  was  unable  to  pay  them;  3. 
Theft,  when  a  thief  could  not  make  reparation ;  4.  Man- 
stealing,  an  act  of  violence  which  w  as  to  be  punished  by 
death;  5.  Bieth,  when  a  slave  had  children;  6.  Pur- 
chase, when  a  man  sold  himself  or  was  purchased  from 
another  master.  The  medium  price  of  a  slave  was  about 
thirty  silver  shekels  [about  13^  oz.  =  £3  8s.  Sd.'].  Ex. 
xxi.  16,  32;  xxii.  2;  Lev.  xxvii.  1-8;  Deut.  xx.  14;  xxi. 
10,  11 ;  xxiv.  7;  2  Kings  iv.  1.  Moses  instituted  the  fol- 
lowing laws  concerning  slaves — viz.  I.  That  all  servants 
or  slaves  should  be  treated  with  humanity,  especially  He- 
brews (Lev.  XXV.  39-53) ;  II.  If  a  master  slew  a  slave,  he 
w^as  to  be  judged  accordingly  and  punished ;  but  if  the 
slave  lived  a  day  or  two  after  being  smitten,  the  master 
was  unpunished  (Ex.  xxi.  20,  21) ;  III.  If  a  master  in- 
jured the  eye  or  tooth  of  his  slave,  the  latter  was  to  be 
freed  (Ex.  xxi.  26,  27) ;  IV.  Slaves  were  to  rest  on  Sab- 
baths and  festivals  (Ex.  xx.  10 ;  Deut.  v.  14) ;  V.  Slaves 
were  to  be  invited  to  feasts  made  from  the  second  tithes 
(Deut.  xii.  17,  18 ;  xvi.  11) ;  VI.  Slaves  were  to  receive 
an  adequate  subsistence  (Deut.  xxv.  4) ;  VII.  A  master 
was  bound  to  provide  for  the  marriage  of  maid-servants, 
unless  he  took  them  as  concubines  for  himself  or  gave 
them  to  his  son  (Ex.  xxi.  8) ;  VIII.  Hebrew  slaves  were 
not  obliged  to  serve  for  more  than  six  years ;  but  if  one 
wished  to  continue  to  serve,  he  had  his  ear  bored  at  his 
master's  doorpost  in  sign  of  perpetual  servitude  (Ex.  xsi.) ; 
IX.  In  the  year  of  jubilee  all  servants  or  slaves  of  Hebrew 
descent  were  to  be  emancipated  (Lev.  xxv.  39-41) ;  X. 
A  runaway  slave  from  another  nation  was  to  be  treated 
Avith  kindness,  and  not  forcibly  returned.  Deut.  xxiii. 
15,  16. 

§  Jewish  Constitution.^ 

133.  Composition  of  the  JeivisJi  State, — In  the  old 

patriarchal  form  of  government  which  was  maintained 

*  To  this  section  but  a  few  of  the  leading  Scripture  references  have 
been  given,  as  otherwise  the  page  would  be  overloaded  with  references 
to  isolated  passages  in  various  parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  to  which  few 
readers  would  think  it  necessary  to  turn.  Those  biblical  students  who 
may  be  desirous  of  examining  all  the  authorities  are  referred  to  the 
learned  works  of  Jahn  and  Michaelis. 


B.C.  1491.  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  87 

by  the  Hebrews  during  their  sojourn  in  Egypt,  every 
father  exercised  a  father's  authority  over  his  own  house- 
hold, and  every  tribe  obeyed  its  OAvn  prince,  who  was 
originally  the  first-born  of  the  founder  of  the  tribe,  but 
subsequently  apj^ears  to  have  been  elected.  As  the  peo- 
ple increased  various  heads  of  families  united  together 
and  elected  a  leader,  who  was  sometimes  called  the  head 
of  a  thousand.  The  princes  also,  whose  duty  it  had  been 
originally  to  keep  genealogical  tables,  subsequently  em- 
ployed scribes  for  that  purpose,  who  in  progress  of  time 
acquired  so  much  authority  as  to  be  permitted  to  exer- 
cise a  share  in  the  government.     We  have  thus, 

1st.  The  heads  of  families,  or  elders. 

2d.  The  princes  of  the  tribes. 

3d.  The  heads  of  associated  families,  or  of  thousands. 

4th.  The  genealogists,  translated  "officers."  All  of 
them,  however,  were  sometimes  designated  as  "el- 
ders." 

Under  the  Mosaic  economy  the  authority  of  these  heads 
and  princes  continued  the  same  as  before,  with  the  addi- 
tion of  the  judges  of  tens,  of  fifties,  of  hundreds,  and  of 
thousands. 

These  judges  were  elected  by  the  suffi-ages  of  the  peo- 
ple from  those  who,  by  their  authority  and  rank,  might 
be  reckoned  amongst  the  rulers  or  princes  of  Israel ;  and 
they  did  not  forfeit  their  civil  authority  by  accepting  this 
judicial  office.  The  judges  of  smaller  numbers  were  sub- 
ordinate to  those  who  judged  larger  numbers,  and  accord- 
ingly difficult  cases  went  up  from  the  inferior  to  the  supe- 
rior judges ;  and  the  very  difficult  causes  were  submitted 
to  Moses  himself,  or  to  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  common- 
wealth, and  in  the  time  of  the  monarchy  to  the  king  him- 
self; and  sometimes  a  further  appeal  was  made  to  the 
high  priest.  Ex.  xviii.  13-26;  Num.  i. ;  v.  46;  Deut.  i. 
13-18. 

134.  TJie  Comitia,  or  Legislative  Assemblies, — The 
various  civil  and  judicial  officers  mentioned  in  the  fore- 
going section  were  necessarily  dispersed  throughout  the 
country.  Those  who  dwelt  in  the  same  city  or  the  same 
neighborhood  formed  the  comitia,  senate,  or  legislative  as- 
sembly of  their  immediate  vicinity ;  when  all  that  dwelt  in 
any  particular  tribe  were  convened,  they  formed  the  legis- 


88  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  B.C.  1491. 

lative  assembly  of  the  tribe;  and  when  they  were  convened 
in  one  body  from  all  the  tribes,  they  formed,  in  like  man- 
ner, the  legislative  assembly  of  the  nation,  and  were  the 
representatives  of  the  whole  people.  The  priests,  who 
were  the  learned  class  of  the  community  and  hereditary 
officers  in  the  state,  had,  by  the  divine  command,  a  right 
to  a  sitting  in  this  assembly.  The  elders,  princes,  geneal- 
ogists, and  judges,  in  their  collective  capacity,  were  called 
the  "elders  of  the  assembly"  or  "of  the  people,"  the 
"  princes  of  the  assembly,"  or  "  congregation,"  the  "  whole 
assembly,"  etc.  Sometimes  an  assembly  included  the 
whole  mass  of  the  people.  Deut.  ix.  12 ;  xxv.  8,  9  ;  Judg. 
i.  1-11 ;  viii.  14 ;  ix.  8-46 ;  xi.  5 ;  1  Sam.  viii.  4 ;  xvi.  4. 

135.  Method  and  Place  of  convening  the  Comitla. 
— The  comitia  were  convened  by  the  judge  or  ruler  for 
the  time  being,  and,  in  case  of  his  absence,  by  the  high 
priest.  The  members  appear  to  have  met  at  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle,  though  sometimes  some  other  celebrated 
spot  was  selected.  During  the  sojourn  in  the  wilderness 
the  comitia  were  summoned  by  the  blowing  of  the  holy 
trumpets,  one  trumpet  being  the  signal  for  a  more  select 
convention,  composed  merely  of  the  heads  of  associated 
families  and  of  the  princes  of  the  tribes  ;  whilst  the  blow- 
ing of  two  trumpets  convened  the  great  assembly,  which, 
in  addition  to  the  heads  of  associated  families  and  princes 
of  the  tribes,  included  the  elders,  judges,  and  genealogists. 
After  the  settlement  in  Palestine  the  comitia  were  assem- 
bled by  messengers.  Num.  x.  2-4. 

136.  JPotvers  of  the  Comitia, — The  comitia,  or  as- 
sembly, exercised  the  rights  of  sovereignty.  It  declared 
war,  concluded  peace,  and  ratified  treaties,  and  it  chose 
the  civil  rulers,  generals,  and  eventually  kings.  The  oath 
of  office  was  administered  to  its  members  by  the  judge  or 
the  king,  and  the  latter  in  turn  received  their  oath  from 
the  comitia,  acting  in  the  name  of  the  people.  The  co- 
mitia acted  on  their  own  authority  and  according  to  their 
own  views,  without  instructions  from  the  body  of  the 
nation ;  but,  though  no  single  instance  occurs  in  which 
the  latter  sought  to  interfere  in  the  deliberations  of  the 
assembly,  yet  the  assembly  were  in  the  habit  of  proposing 
their  decisions  and  resolutions  to  the  people  for  their 
ratification  and  consent.     When  Jehovah  was  chosen  aa 


B.  c.  1491.  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  89 

the  special  King  of  the  Hebrews,  it  was  not  done  by  the 
comitia,  but  by  the  people  themselves,  all  of  whom,  as 
well  as  their  rulers,  took  the  oath  of  obedience.  Ex.  xxiv. 
3-8  ;  Deut.  xxix.  9-14. 

137.  Connection  of  the  Tribes  tvith  each  other, — 
Each  tribe  was  governed  by  its  own  prince  and  heads  of 
families,  etc.,  and  therefore,  to  a  certain  extent,  consti- 
tuted an  independent  community.  Judg.  xx.  11-46.  If, 
however,  any  one  tribe  found  ^tself  unequal  to  the  execu- 
tion of  any  proposed  plan,' it  might  connect  itself  with 
another,  or  even  a  number  of  the  other  tribes ;  and  if  any 
affair  concerned  the  whole  or  many  of  the  tribes,  it  was 
determined  by  them  in  conjunction  in  the  legislative  as- 
sembly of  the  nation.  But  still,  all  the  tribes  were  bound 
together  so  as  to  form  one  Church  and  one  civil  commun- 
ity— not  only  by  the  common  promises  vouchsafed  by  Je- 
hovah to  their  common  ancestors,  not  only  by  the  need  in 
which,  they  stood  of  mutual  counsel  and  assistance,  but 
also  by  the  circumstance  that  God  was  their  common 
King,  and  that  they  had  a  common  tabernacle  for  his 
palace,  and  a  common  sacerdotal  and  Levitical  order  for 
his  ministers.     Judg.  xi.  1-11 ;  i.  1-3,  22. 

138.  The  Tribunal  of  Seventy  instituted  hy  Moses. 
— The  tribunal  of  seventy  elders  instituted  by  Moses 
(sect.  219)  seems  to  have  been  merely  intended  for  a 
supreme  senate,  to  take  a  share  with  Moses  in  the  govern- 
ment, and  was  not  probably  of  long  continuance.  Fre- 
quent mention  is  made  in  the  New  Testament  of  a  Sanhe- 
drim, which  appears  to  have  been  instituted  at  Jerusalem 
after  the  return  from  the  Babylonian  captivity,  for  from 
the  death  of  Moses  until  this  latter  period  we  do  not  find 
the  least  mention  of  this  council  or  tribunal. 

III.  The  Ceremonial  Laxv.^ 
1.  The  Tabernacle. 

139.  External  Description, — The  Israelites  made 
voluntary  offerings  for  the  building  of  the  tabernacle  and 
its  appurtenances  so  liberally  that  Moses  was  obliged  to 

*  The  Jewish  ceremonial  law  was  divided  into  six  branches — viz.  1. 
The  Tabernacle  J  2.  The  Priests,  Levites,  and  Nethinim;  3.  Ofper- 

8  * 


90  EXODUS   XX.-XL. 


B.C.  1491, 


restrain  them.  The  tabernacle  was  built  by  two  inspired 
architects — Bezaleel  the  son  of  Uri,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
and  Aholiab  the  son  of  Ahisamach,  of  the  tribe  of  Dan. 
It  was  30  cubits  [18  yards  8  inches]  long,  10  cubits  [6 
yards  2  inches]  broad,  and  10  cubits  [6  yards  2  inches] 
high.  The  two  sides  and  western  end  were  made  of 
shittim-  [acacia]  wood  boards,  overlaid  with  gold.  Each 
of  these  boards  was  10  cubits  [6  yards  2  inches]  long 
and  1^  cubits  [2  feet  8  inches]  broad  ;  and  they  were  fixed 
upright  in  silver  sockets,  and  secured  by  shittim-wood 
bars  overlaid  with  gold,  which  passed  through  golden 
rings  on  the  boards.  The  eastern  end  was  the  entrance, 
and,  instead  of  boards,  was  enclosed  with  a  richly-em- 
broidered hanging  suspended  by  golden  hooks  from  five 
pillars  of  shittim-wood,  which  stood  in  five  brazen  sockets. 
Four  veils  or  coverings  were  cast  over  the  whole  building : 
1.  The  innermost  one,  which  formed  a  ceiling,  and  con- 
sisted of  fine  linen  embroidered  with  cherubim  and  shaded 
with  blue,  purple,  and  scarlet ;  2.  A  covering  of  goats' 
hair ;  3.  Kams'  skins  dyed  red ;  4.  The  outermost  one  of 
dyed  badger  skins.  Ex.  xxvi. ;  xxxi.  1-11 ;  xxxv.  4-35; 
xxxvi. 

140.  The  Holy  and  the  Most  Holy  Place, — The 
tabernacle  was  divided  into  two  apartments,  the  Holy 
and  the  Most  Holy  Place,  by  means  of  a  rich  hanging 
like  the  one  at  the  entrance,  stretched  upon  four  pillars  of 
shittim-wood  overlaid  with  gold,  and  standing  in  silver 
sockets.  Ex.  xxvi.  31-37. 

141.  Furniture  of  the  Holy  Place, — 1st,  The  Altar 
of  Ificense,  which  was  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  Holy 
Place.  It  was  made  with  shittim-wood  overlaid  with 
gold,  with  horns  of  the  same  material,  and  was  1  cubit 
[1  foot  9  inches]  square  and  2  cubits  [3  feet  7  inches] 
high.  The  crown  or  ornamental  cornice  was  of  gold,  with 
four  golden  rings  underneath  it  to  receive  the  staves  of 
shittim-wood  overlaid  with  gold  by  which  the  altar  was 
carried.  Incense  was  burnt  on  this  altar  both  morning 
and  evening.     It  was  also  sprinkled  with  the  blood  of  the 

INGS,  including  sacrifices,  oblations,  and  meat-  and  drink-offerings; 
4.  Feasts  and  Festivals;  5.  Vows;  6." Purifications.  Of  these,  the 
first  only  is  to  be  found  in  Exodus;  the  remaining  five  are  contained 
in  Leviticus. 


B.  c.  1491. 


EXODUS   XX.-XL 


91 


EPHRAIM. 

^^^ 

1 

MANASSEH.                             BENJAMIN 

Gershomites. 

Their  charge— Curtains,  Cloths,  etc. 

> 

COURT. 

10  CUBITS  SQUARE. 

00 

< 

^ 

ARK. 

2 

o 

2 

.2 

o 

09 

IS 
o 

o 

l-H 

as 

Containing 
Two  Tables  of  the  Law. 
Aaron's  Rod, 
Pot  of  Manna. 

td 

1^ 
2. 

o 

3* 

W 

HOLY  OF  HOLIES. 

'« 
§ 

Altar  of 

Cf5 

o 

Incense. 

T 

^ 

Sa 

ET 
® 

? 

P4 

5t 
■Si 

\4 

^it 

2 

1 

? 

« 

s 

«1 
1 

3 

o 

o 

.J 

? 

gal 

o 

■s 

91 

ti 

(0 

J3 

H 

HOLY  PLACE. 

}z; 

P4 

LAVER. 

M 

S 

H 

CO 

Altar  of  Burnt-OflFering. 

Moses,  Aaron,  and  Aaron^  Sons. 

100  Cubits  long  and  50  Cubits  broad. 

JTJDAH. 

ISSACHAR.                               ZEBULUN. 

J 

THE  TABERNACLE,  AND  ORDER  OF  THE  ENCAMPMENTS  OF 
THE  SEVERAL  TRIBES. 


92  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  B.C.  1491. 

sacrifices  that  were  ofiered  for  the  sins  of  ignorance.  Ex. 
XXX.  1-10 ;  xxxvii.  25-29. 

142.  2d,  The  Shew-hread  Tables  which  stood  north 
of  the  altar  of  incense — that  is,  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
priest  as  he  entered.  It  was  made,  like  the  altar,  of 
shittim-wood  overlaid  with  gold.  It  was  2  cubits  [3  feet 
7  inches]  long,  1  cubit  [1  loot  9  inches]  broad,  and  1\ 
cubits  [2  feet  8  inches]  high,  and  had  a  crown  or  orna- 
mental cornice  of  gold,  with  a  border  or  second  crown 
above  it.  It  also  had  four  golden  rings  and  staves  of 
shittim-wood  and  gold,  like  the  altar  of  incense.  Shew- 
bread  was  always  kept  upon  this  table,  twelve  fresh 
loaves  of  which  (one  for  each  tribe)  were  offered  every 
Sabbath,  the  priests  alone  eating  the  removed  bread. 
Dishes,  spoons,  covers,  and  bowls  were  made  for  the  table 
of  pure  gold.     Ex.  xxv.  23-30 ;  xxxvii.  10-16. 

143.  3d,  The  Candlestick,  which  stood  south,  or  on 
the  left  of  the  altar  of  incense.  It  was  made  of  beaten 
gold,  and  weighed  one  talent,  or  about  one  hundredweight 

=  £5464.  It  had  six  branches,  three  on  each  side,  and 
three  bowls  like  almonds,  with  a  knop  and  a  flower  in 
each  branch.  It  also  had  seven  lamps,  which  were  kept 
burning  with  pure  olive  oil  both  morning  and  evening, 
with  tongs  and  snuff-dishes  all  of  pure  gold.  Ex.  xxv.  31- 
40 ;  xxxvii.  17-24. 

'  144.  Furniture  of  the  3Iost  Holy  Tlace,  or  ''Holy 
of  Holies,^' — 1st,  The  Ark, — The  ark  was  made  of 
shittim-wood  overlaid  with  gold.  It  was  2|-  cubits  [4|- 
feet]  long,  1^  cubits  [2  feet  8  inches]  broad,  and  1^  cu- 
bits [2  feet  8  inches]  high.  It  had  an  ornamental  cornice 
of  gold  round  the  top,  with  four  golden  rings  to  receive 
the  staves  of  shittim-wood  and  gold  by  w^hich  it  was  car- 
ried. The  ark  contained — 1.  The  testimony  or  tables  of 
the  covenant ;  2.  A  golden  pot  with  an  omer  of  manna ; 
3.  Aaron's  rod  that  budded.  In  the  side  of  the  ark  was 
a  place  where  Moses  enjoined  that  a  copy  of  the  law 
should  be  kept.*  Ex.  xxv.  10-16;  xxxvii.  1-5;  Heb, 
ix.  4. 

••■  Subsequent  History  of  the  Ark. — It  led  the  Israelites,  under  Joshua, 
across  the  Jordan  on  dry  land  (Josh,  iv.),  and  subsequently  the  walls 
of  Jericho  fell  down  after  it  had  been  carried  round  them  once  a  day 
for  six  days,  and  seven  times  on  the  seventh.  Josh.  vi.     On  entering 


B.C.  1491.  EXODUS   XX.-XL.  93 

145.  2cl,  TJie  Mercy-seat,  wMch  was  a  golden  cover- 
ing for  the  ark,  was  so  called  because  God  was  propitiated 
by  the  blood  of  the  goat  sprinkled  upon  or  before  it  on 
the  day  of  atonement.  Ex.  xxv.  17 ;  xxxvii.  6. 

146.  3d,  Tlie  Clierubim,  or  two  figures  of  beaten 
gold.  Each  of  these  figures  had  four  faces — viz.  that  of  a 
lion,  man,  calf,  and  eagle,  attached  to  a  human  body  with 
four  wings,  and  four  hands  under  the  wings,  and  standing 
on  feet  like  those  of  a  calf  or  ox.  Two  of  the  wings  of 
each  cherub  covered  its  body,  whilst  the  other  two  were 
stretched  above  the  mercy-seat.  Jehovah  promised  to 
commune  with  his  people  from  between  the  cherubim, 
and  there  dwelt  the  miraculous  light  of  Shechinah.  Ex. 
xxv.  18-22 ;  xxxvii.  7-9. 

147.  The  Shechinah, — This  miraculous  light  rested 
like  a  cloud  between  the  cherubim,  and  was  a  visible 
token  of  the  presence  of  God  in  his  holy  temple.  It  had 
led  the  Israelites  through  the  wilderness  like  a  pillar  of 
cloud  by  day  and  of  fire  by  night.  It  appeared  to  the 
shepherds  at  our  Saviour's  birth,  to  Paul  at  his  conver- 
sion, and  to  the  disciples  at  Christ's  transfiguration. 

148.  Court  of  the  Tabernacle, — The  tabernacle  could 
be  taken  to  pieces  and  put  together  again  as  occasion  re- 
quired.    It  was  carried  by  the  Levites  and  pitched  in  the 

Canaan  it  was  first  set  up  in  Shiloh,  but  many  years  afterward,  when 
the  Israelites  were  oi^pressed  by  the  Philistines  during  the  judgeships 
of  Eli's  sons,  it  was  carried  into  the  Hebrew  camp,  and  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  The  Philistines  were  so  afflicted  whilst  it  was  in 
their  possession  that  they  passed  it  to  Ashdod — where  the  god  Dagon 
fell  before  it — to  Gath,  to  Ekron,  and  from  thence  to  Beth-shemesh, 
where  the  people  were  struck  dead  for  looking  into  it.  From  this 
place  the  Israelites  carried  it  to  the  house  of  Abinadab  at  Kirjath-jearim, 
after  having  been  deprived  of  it  for  seven  months,  1  Sam.  iv.  11 ;  vii. 
1.  In  the  reign  of  Saul  it  was  at  Nob,  and  afterward  at  Kirjath- 
jearim  again,  whence  David  carried  it  in  a  new  cart,  first  to  the 
house  of  Obed-edom,  because  Uzzah  was  struck  dead  for  touching  it 
on  the  journey,  and  afterward  to  his  own  house  at  Jerusalem.  2  Sam. 
vi.  10-15.  AVhen  David  fled  from  Absalom  he  took  it  with  him,  but 
sent  it  back  again  to  Jerusalem,  and  at  last  it  was  deposited  by  Solo- 
mon in  the  temple.  2  Sam.  xv.  24:-29 ;  2  Chron.  v.  2-5.  Here  it  re- 
mained until  the  temple  was  profaned  by  the  idolatry  of  Judah,  when 
the  priests  carried  it  from  place  to  place  to  preserve  it  from  pollution. 
Josiah  afterward  ordered  it  to  be  replaced,  but  what  became  of  it  sub- 
sequently is  unknown ;  it  was  lost  during  the  destruction  of  the  temple 
by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  was  wanting  in  the  second  temple.  2  Chron, 
XXXV.  3. 


94  EXODUS  XX.-XL. 


J.  c.  1490. 


midst  of  every  encampment,  the  tribes  being  stationed 
round  it  in  a  quadrangular  form  under  their  respective 
standards.  It  was  always  stationed  in  an  open  oblong 
space  100  cubits  [182  feet  4  inches]  long  and  50  cubits 
[91  feet  2  inches]  broad,  due  east  and  west,  and  sur- 
rounded by  brazen  pillars  filleted  or  fluted  with  silver, 
and  5  cubits  [3  yards  1  inch]  high  and  at  5  cubits'  [3  yards 
1  inch]  distance  from  each  other.  These  pillars  were 
hung  with  fine  twined  linen  yarn,  except  at  the  entrance 
on  the  eastern  end,  which  was  of  blue,  purple,  scarlet, 
and  fine  white  twined  linen,  with  cords  to  draw  it  either 
up  or  aside  when  the  priests  entered  the  court.  Ex. 
xxvii.  9-21 ;   xxxviii.  9-20. 

149.  Furniture  of  the  Court, — 1st,  The  Altar  of 
Burnt-offerings, — The  altar  was  placed  in  a  line  be- 
tween the  entrance  of  the  court  and  that  of  the  taber- 
nacle, and  was  5  cubits  [3  yards  1  inch]  long,  5  cubits 
broad,  and  3  cubits  [5  feet  5  inches]  high.  It  was  hollow, 
and  made  of  shittim-wood  boards  overlaid  with  brass, 
and  had  a  horn  at  each  corner.  All  the  pans,  basins, 
shovels,  flesh-hooks,  and  vessels  belonging  to  it  were 
made  of  brass,  and  it  was  surmounted  by  a  brazen  grate 
or  network,  on  which  the  victims  were  consumed.  It  also 
had  four  brazen  rings  to  receive  staves  of  shittim-wood 
overlaid  with  brass,  by  which  it  was  carried.  The  first 
sacrifice  upon  this  altar  was  consumed  by  fire  from  heav- 
en, which  was  never  afterward  suffered  to  go  out.  Ex. 
xxvii.  1-8;  xxxviii.  1-7;  Lev.  vi.  13;  ix.  24. 

150.  2d,  TJie  Laver, — The  laver  was  placed  between 
the  altar  of  burnt-oflfering  and  the  entrance  of  the  taber- 
nacle. It  was  made  of  brass,  and  had  a  foot,  also  of  brass, 
and  held  water,  in  which  Aaron  and  his  sons  were  to 
wash  their  hands  and  feet  whenever  they  entered  the 
tabernacle  or  approached  the  altar.    Ex.  xxxviii.  8. 


151.  Completion  of  the  Tabernacle^  1490, — On  the 

first  day  of  the  first  month  of  the  second  year  of  the  ex- 
ode  from  Egypt — viz.  b.  c.  1490 — the  tabernacle  was 
completed,  and  "  a  cloud  covered  the  tent  of  the  congre- 


B.  c.  1490. 


LEVITICUS.  95 


gation,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  tabernacle." 
Ex.  xl. 

152.  Tyj)ical  Intimations  of  tJie  3Iessiah  in  Ex- 
odus,— In  this  book  the  Messiah  was  typified  in— I. 
Aaron  :  "  Seeing  then  that  we  have  a  great  High  Priest, 
that  is  passed  into  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God " 
(Heb.  iv.  14);  II.  The  Paschal  Lamb:  "For  even 
Christ  our  Passover  is  sacrificed  for  us "  (1  Cor.  v.  7) ; 
III.  Manna  :  "  And  did  all  eat  the  same  spiritual  meat " 
(1  Cor.  X.  3) ;  IV.  Eock  in  Hokeb  :  "  And  did  all  drink 
the  same  spiritual  drink :  for  they  drank  of  that  spiritual 
Eock  that  followed  them :  and  that  Eock  was  Christ "  (1 
Cor.  X.  4) ;  V.  The  Mercy-seat  :  "  Whom  (Jesus  Christ) 
God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in 
his  blood."  Eom.  iii.  25. 


LEVITICUS. 

[Kevltikov — Levitical  Priesthood  and  Sacrifices.) 

HISTORY  OP  THE  LEVITICAL  PRIESTHOOD,  SACRIFICES,  AND  ORDINANCES,  B.  C. 
1490.-ABOUT  A  MONTH— VIZ.  FROM  THE  BUILDING  OF  THE  TABERNACLE  TO 
THE  NUMBERING  OF   THE   PEOPLE.* 


ANALYSIS. 

[Ceremonial  Law,  continued  from  Exodus.] 

2.  Priests,  Levites,  and  Nethinim,— Classification.— 
I.  Priests — their  duties  and  requirements;  sacerdotal  dress; 
sources  of  livehhood.— II.  High  Priest— his  office;  liis  typical 
cliaracter;  his  robes— viz.  1st.  The  ephod  ;  2d.  The  coat  or  robe  of 
the  ephod ;  3d.  The  breastplate  of  judgment  (Urim  and  Thummim); 
and  4th.  The  mitre  or  crown.— III.  The  Levites— their  duties, 
livelihood,  and  consecration.— TV.  The  Nethinim— Consecration 
of  Aaron  and  his  sons page  96. 

3,  Sacrifices,  Oblations,  and  Meat'  and  Drink- 
Off  erings.— General  Classification. of  Jewish  Sacrifices  and  Offer- 
ings.—!. Sacrifices  or  Offerings  of  Blood,  four  classes  of— 

«-  Ex.  xl.  2  :  Num.  i.  1. 


96  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

viz.  1st.  Burnt-ofFerings ;  2d.  Peace-ofFerings ;  3d.  Sin-offerings ; 
4th.  Trespass-offerings ;  typical  character  of  the  sacrifices. — II. 
Oblations,  or  Unbloody  Offerings,  three  classes  of — viz.  1st. 
Ordinary  oblations  (shew-bread  and  incense) ;  2d.  Free  oblations 
(fruits  of  promises  or  vows) ;  3d.  Prescribed  oblations  (first-fruits, 
firstlings,  and  tithes). — Meat-offerings. — Drink-offerings. — National 
sacrifices page  100. 

4.  Annual  Feasts  and  Festivals  ;  Sabbatical  Year 
and  tTiibilee, — Classification  of  Annual  Festivals  instituted  by 
Moses — viz.  1.  The  Feast  of '  Passover,  or  Unleavened  Bread  ;  2. 
Feast  of  Pentecost,  or  of  Weeks,  Harvest,  or  First-fruits ;  3.  Feast 
of  Tabernacles ;  4.  Feast  of  Trumpets  ;  and  5.  Feast  or  Fast  of  Ex- 
piation, or  Great  Day  of  Atonement. — [Later  Feasts — Purim,  Ded- 
ication, etc.] — The  Sabbatical  year. — The  Jubilee. — Typical  charac- 
ter of  the  feasts  and  festivals,  and  the  Jubilee.   ....  page  107. 

5,  Voivs. — Nature  of  vows. — How  far  valid. — Classification: 
1.  Vows  of  dedication ;  2.  Vows  of  interdiction  and  Nazaritisrn, — 
The  cherera  or  anathema page  113. 

6*.  Ftli'ifications, — Nature  and  Classification  of  Purifications. 
—Materials  for  purifying. — 1.  Purification  as  a  Eeligious 
Ceremonial. — II.  Purification  from  Personal  Unclean- 
NEss. — III.  Purification  from  Leprosy. — Classification— -viz.  1. 
Leprosy  in  Man:  character  and  symptoms;  laws  for  distinguish- 
ing it ;  purification  from  it. — 2.  Leprosy  in  Houses. — 3.  Leprosy 
IN  Clothes page  116. 

§  Typical  intimations  in  Leviticus.  page  119. 


SUMMAKY. 

[  Ceremonial  Law,  continued  from  Exodus.] 

2.  Priests,  Levites,  and  ISTethinim. 

153.  Classification, — The  tribe  of  Levi  were  exclu- 
sively devoted  to  the  service  of  the  temple,  under  the 
name  of  Levjtes,  but  of  these  only  the  males  of  the 
family  of  Aaron  were  permitted  to  sacrifice  at  the  altar 
of  burnt-offering,  under  the  name  of  Priests,  and  of  them 
the  High  Priest  alone  was  permitted  to  enter  the  Holy 
of  Holies  or  Most  Holy  Place.  In  addition  to  the  priests, 
high  priest,  and  Levites  was  a  class  of  inferior  assistants, 
including  Gibeonites  and  captives;  these  were  called 
Nethinim. 


B.  c.  1490. 


LEVITICUS.  97 


154.  TJie  Priests:  their  lyuties  and  Requirements. 

— The  priests  were  chosen  from  the  family  of  Aaron  ex- 
clusively. They  served  immediately  at  the  altar,  pre- 
pared the  victims,  and  offered  the  sacrifices.  They  also 
kept  up  a  perpetual  fire  on  the  altar  of  burnt-offerings  and 
in  the  golden  candlestick;  prepared,  brought,  and  re- 
moved the  shew-bread ;  offered  up  prayers  for  the  people ; 
judged  of  leprosy,  the  causes  of  divorce,  the  waters  of 
jealousy,  vows,  uncleanness,  etc. ;  carried  the  ark  in  war, 
sounded  the  trumpets,  and  animated  the  army ;  w^ere  con- 
sulted as  interpreters  of  the  law,  and  publicly  blessed  the 
people  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Every  priest  was  re- 
quired to  establish  his  descent,  and  none  were  permitted 
to  marry  a  harlot  or  a  profane  woman,  or  one  who  had 
been  divorced.  Bodily  defects,  blemishes,  leprosy,  or  un- 
cleanness would  exclude  any  priest  from  sacrificing  at  the 
altar  or  entering  the  tabernacle,  and  no  one  might  make 
his  head  bald,  nor  shave  off  the  corner  of  his  beard,  nor 
cut  his  flesh ;  nor  might  he  defile  himself  by  mourning 
for  any  of  his  relations,  save  for  his  father,  mother,  son, 
daughter,  brother,  or  virgin  sister.  Lev.  xxi. ;  xxii. ; 
Num.  iii. 

155.  Sacerdotal  Dress. — The  priests  were  not  dis- 
tinguished by  sacerdotal  habits  excepting  whilst  they  were 
ofiiciating,  when  they  wore  linen  drawers,  tunic,  and  gir- 
dle ;  also  a  tiara  shaped  like  the  mitre  or  croAvn  (sect. 
163),  worn  by  the  high  priest,  but  not  so  ornamented,  and 
without  the  golden  plate.  Ex.  xxviii. ;  Lev.  viii. 

156.  Sources  of  tJieir  Livelihood. — Besides  the  thir- 
teen cities  and  the  tithe  which  they  derived  from  the  Le- 
vites  (sect.  164),  they  received  the  following  things,  which 
were  to  be  dedicated  to  God  (sect.  181-183) — viz.  1.  The 
first-fruits  of  the  wheat,  oil,  and  wine.  2.  The  first  fleece 
of  the  sheep.  3.  The  price  paid  for  the  redemption  of  the 
first-born  of  men  and  impure  animals.  4.  The  first-born 
of  sheep,  cows,  and  goats,  whose  blood  and  fat  were  sacri- 
ficed on  the  altar,  and  the  remainder  given  to  them.  5. 
The  right  shoulder  and  breast  of  peace-offerings.  6.  All 
the  sin-offerings,  except  the  fat  which  covered  certain 
parts  of  the  victim,  and  which  was  burnt  on  the  altar, 
and  excepting  in  the  cases  of  sin-offerings  made  for  a 
priest  himself  or  for  the  congregation.     7.  The  skin  or 


98  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

fleece  of  burnt-offerings.  8.  The  shoulder,  cheeks,  and 
maw  of  the  oxen  and  sheep  killed  by  the  Israelites  for 
their  own  use.  9.  The  first-fruits  of  trees — that  is,  those 
of  the  fourth  year.  10.  A  share  in  the  spoils  of  war. 
Lev.  vii. ;  xix. ;  Num.  xviii. ;  xxxi. ;  Deut.  xviii.  3.* 

157.  Tlie  High  rriest :  his  OMce. — The  high  priest 
was  placed  over  the  other  priests,  and  alone  could  enter 
the  Most  Holy  Place — once  a  year,  on  the  day  of  atone- 
ment. He  was  also  the  final  judge  in  all  controversies, 
and  the  chief  man  in  Israel,  and  in  later  times  presided 
over  the  Sanhedrim.  He  held  his  office  until  incapaci- 
tated by  age  or  polluted  by  crime.  Lev.  xvi. 

158.  His  Typical  Character. — The  high  priest  was  an 
eminent  type  of  our  spiritual  High  Priest,  Jesus  Christ: "  See- 
ing then  that  we  have  a  great  High  Priest,  that  is  passed 
into  the  heavens,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,"  Heb.  iv.  14. 

159.  His  Robes. — Besides  the  dress  which  was  com- 
mon to  himself  and  the  inferior  priests,  he  wore  four  pecu- 
liar garments. 

160.  1st.  The  Ephodf  a  kind  of  vest  fastened  to  the 
shoulders,  the  hinder  part  reaching  to  the  heels,  whilst 
the  fore  part  descended  only  a  little  below  the  waist.  It 
was  of  fine  twisted  linen,  splendidly  wrought  with  gold 
and  purple,  and  was  fastened  to  the  shoulders  by  two 
straps  of  similar  material,  to  which  were  affixed  the  breast- 
jolate  of  judgment. 

161.  2d,  The  Coat  or  JRohe  of  the  Ephod,  which 
was  made  of  blue  wool  bound  round  with  woven  work 
to  prevent  its  rending.  Seventy-two  golden  bells  were 
fastened  upon  the  hem,  with  an  artificial  pomegranate  of 
blue,  purple,  or  scarlet  between  each.  Whilst  these  pome- 
granates beautified  the  robe,  the  sound  of  the  seventy-two 
bells  informed  the  congregation  of  the  high  priest's  en- 
trance into  the  Most  Holy  Place  to  burn  incense,  so  that 
the  prayers  of  the  people  and  the  incense  from  the  altar 
might  ascend  together  as  a  fragrant  odor  before  God. 


*  The  priests  afterward  became  so  numerous  that  King  David  divided 
them  into  twenty-four  classes,  which  were  each  to  serve  a  week  in  rota- 
tion. 1  Chron.  xxiv.  After  the  captivity,  only  four  of  these  classes 
returned,  but  they  were  again  divided  into  twenty-four,  each  of  which 
class  or  course  had  a  chief  or  head,  which  are  supposed  to  be  the  chief 
priests  of  the  New  Testament. 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  99 

162.  Sd,  OTJie  Breastplate  of  Judgment,  or  oracle, 
was  a  piece  of  cloth  doubled,  one  span  [about  11  inches] 
square,  and  of  similar  workmanship  and  materials  with 
the  ephod.  On  it  were  set  twelve  precious  stones,  contain- 
ing the  engraved  names  of  the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob  and 
the  words  Urim  and  Thummim.  [The  real  nature  of  the 
Urim  and  Thummim  is  unknown;  but  when  the  high 
priest  went  to  ask  counsel  of  Jehovah,  he  presented  him- 
self arrayed  in  this  breastplate  and  received  the  divine 
commands.] 

163.  4:th,  The  Mitre  or  Croivn,  on  the  front  of  which 
was  tied,  by  a  blue  ribbon,  a  plate  of  pure  gold,  on  which 
was  engraven  "  Holiness  unto  the  Lord."  The  high  priest 
alone  entered  the  Most  Holy  Place  on  the  day  of  atone- 
ment. Ex.  xxviii. ;  Lev.  xvi. 

164.  The  LeviteSf  their  Duties,  UveliJiood,  and 
Consecration. — The  Levites  were  divided  into  three 
families,  called  after  the  three  sons  of  Levi — viz.  Ger- 
SHOMiTES,  KoHATHiTES,  and  Merarites.  Their  office 
was  to  wait  upon  the  priests,  to  carry  the  tabernacle  and 
its  furniture  from  place  to  place,  and  to  cleanse  the  sacred 
vessels,  take  charge  of  the  sacred  loaves,  and  sing  psalms 
and  perform  on  musical  instruments.  They  were  sup- 
ported by  a  tenth  of  the  corn,  fruit,  and  cattle  belonging 
to  the  other  eleven  tribes,  and  on  their  entering  Canaan, 
instead  of  a  portion  of  the  territory,  forty-eight  cities  were 
assigned  them,  with  the  suburbs,  extending  to  three  thou- 
sand cubits  beyond  the  city  wall.  The  Levites  were,  how- 
ever, obliged  to  give  a  tenth  of  this  tithe  for  the  support 
of  the  priests  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  together  with  thir- 
teen of  their  cities.  Six  of  these  cities  were  also  made 
cities  of  refuge.  They  were  to  serve  in  the  tabernacle 
from  their  thirtieth  to  their  fiftieth  year,  though  afterward 
they  commenced  serving  at  twenty.  1  Chron.  xxiii.  24. 
They  were  consecrated  by  shaving  their  bodies,  washing 
their  clothes,  and  being  sprinkled  with  water,  and  then 
by  taking  two  young  bullocks  to  Aaron,  with  the  necessary 
appendages,  one  to  be  offered  as  a  burnt-offering,  and  the 
other  as  a  sin-offering.  Num.  iii. ;  iv. ;  viii. ;  xviii. 

165.  The  Nethinim, — Besides  the  Levites,  there  were 
subsequently  an  inferior  class  of  persons,  who  performed 
the  more  servile  offices  of  the  tabernacle,  such  as  carrying 


100  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

wood  and  water,  and  these  were  called  Nethinim.  The 
Gibeonites  (sect.  258)  were  the  first  of  this  class  of  assist- 
ants, but  it  was  afterward  increased  by  the  addition  of 
captives  taken  in  war.  Josh.  ix.  21-27 ;  2  Chron.  ii.  17 ; 
Ezra  viii.  20. 

166.  Consecration  of  Aaron  and  his  Sons, — Aaron 
and  his  family  were  originally  invested  with  the  priest- 
hood by  Moses,  who  was  appointed  by  Jehovah  to  offi- 
ciate at  their  consecration,  and  directed  to  perform  the 
following  ceremonies :  Moses  first  washed  Aaron  and  his 
sons  with  water,  arrayed  them  in  their  pontifical  vest- 
ments, and  anointed  Aaron  with  the  holy  oil ;  he  then 
offered  three  sacrifices : 

1st.  A  sin-offering,  as  a  kind  of  expiation  by  which 
they  were  to  be  purified.     (See  "Sacrifices,"  sect.  171.) 

2d.  A  burnt-offering,  as  a  gift  or  present  to  recommend 
them  to  the  Lord. 

3d.  A  peace-offeriyig,  as  a  sacred  feast  by  which  they 
were  introduced  into  the  family  of  God,  for  even  the 
offerers  were  permitted  to  eat  of  their  own  peace-offerings. 

After  this  original  consecration  of  the  sons  of  Aaron 
no  subsequent  consecration  was  required  for  their  de- 
scendants and  successors  in  the  priesthood.  But  in  the 
high  priesthood  the  case  was  different,  for  every  fresh  high 
priest  after  Aaron  was  anointed  and  arrayed  in  the  pon- 
tifical robes  for  the  same  number  of  days  as  Aaron  him- 
self had  been.  [After  the  consumption  of  the  sacred  oil 
made  by  Moses,  which  the  Jews  affirm  was  never  made 
again,  an  investment  with  the  pontifical  robes  was  deem- 
ed a  sufficient  consecration.]     Ex.  xxix. ;  Lev.  viii. 

3.  Sacrifices,  Oblations,  and  Meat-  and  Drink- 
offerings. 

167.  Jewish  Oifevings  classified* — Jewish  offerings 
were  of  two  kinds :  I.  Sacrifices,  or  oflferings  of  blood  ; 
II.  Oblations,  or  unbloody  offerings.  A  sacrifice  was 
an  entire  change  or  destruction  of  the  thing  offered ;  an 
oblation  was  a  simple  offering  or  gift. 

I.  Sacrifices,  or  blood-offerings,  were  of  four  classes — 
\  viz.  1.  Burnt-offerings;  2.  Peace-offerings;  3.  Sin-offer- 
"  ings;  4.  Trespass-offerings. 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  101 

II.  Oblations,  or  unbloody  offerings,  were  of  tliree 
classes— viz.  1.  Ordinary  oblations,  including  shew-bread 
and  incense;  2.  Free  oblations,  including  the  fruits  of 
promises  or  vows ;  3.  Prescribed  oblations,  including  first- 
fruits,  firstlings,  and  tithes. 

In  addition  to  these  sacrifices  and  oblations  were  meat- 
offerings and  drink-offerings,  which  were  the  frequent  ac- 
companiment of  both  bloody  and  unbloody  ofierings. 

1.  Sacrifices. 

168.  Selection  of  Victims.— Only  five  species  of  ani- 
mals might  be  sacrificed— viz.  bullocks,  sheep,  goats,  tur- 
tle-doves, and  young  pigeons,  the  two  latter  to  be  offered 
when  the  circumstances  of  the  ofierer  would  not  enable 
him  to  furnish  either  of  the  three  former.  The  victim 
was  to  be  without  spot  or  blemish,  not  less  than  eight  days 
old,  and  yet  not  too  aged,  and  it  was  not  to  be  procured 
by  the  price  of  a  dog  or  by  that  of  whoredom.  In  sacri- 
ficing birds  no  particular  sex  was  required,  but  in  cattle 
it  depended  on  the  nature  of  the  sacrifice  or  circum- 
stances of  the  offerer.  The  peace-offerings  of  individuals 
were  both  males  and  females ;  the  sin-offering  of  an  indi- 
vidual was  to  be  a  female  lamb  or  kid ;  but  all  victims 
of  every  class  of  sacrifice  offered  for  the  whole  congrega- 
tion, and  all  burnt-ofterings,  sin-offerings,  and  trespass- 
offerings  for  a  ruler  or  high  priest,  were  to  be  males.  Lev. 
xxii. ;  Deut.  xxiii.  18. 

169.  1st.  Burnt-offerinf/s.— These  were  freewiU-ot- 
fermgs,  wholly  devoted  to  God,  except  the  skin,  which 
alone  was  taken  by  the  priests.  The  offerer  was  himself 
to  lead  one  of  either  of  the  above  five  species  of  animals 
to  the  court  of  the  tabernacle  (afterward  to  the  court  of 
the  temple),  and,  laying  his  hands  upon  its  head,  he  was 
to  repeat  a  prayer.  If  several  persons  united  in  offering 
the  victim,  they  were  to  lay  their  hands  upon  it  in  succes- 
sion.*    The  priest  then  was  to  take  the  animal,  cut  its 

«-  "  By  this  imposition  of  hands  the  person  presenting  the  victim  ac- 
knowledged the  sacrifice  to  be  his  own ;  that  he  loaded  it  with  his  in- 
\    iquities ;  that  he  oflFered  it  as  an  atonement  for  his  sins ;  that  he  was 
]   worthy  of  death  because  he  had  sinned,  having  forfeited  bis  me  by 
^   violating  the  law  of  God  ;  and  that  he  entreated  God  to  accept  the  lite 
of  the  innocent  animal  in  the  place  of  his  own." — Home. 

Q  * 


102-  LEVITICUS. 


B.  c.  1490. 


throat  and  windpipe  in  one  stroke,  and,  receiying  the 
blood  in  a  vessel,  he  was  to  sprinkle  some  of  it  around 
the  altar  and  pour  out  the  remainder  at  the  altar's  foot. 
The  skin  was  then  stripped  from  the  neck  of  the  victim, 
its  breast  opened,  the  bowels  taken  out,  the  backbone 
cleft,  and  the  whole  divided  into  quarters.  The  legs  and 
inwards  were  then  w^ashed,  and,  the  various  parts  having 
been  salted,  they  were  all  utterly  consumed  upon  the  altar 
of  burnt-offering.  If  a  turtle-dove  or  pigeon  was  offered, 
the  priest  wrung  off  its  head  and  sprinkled  its  blood  as 
above,  but  plucked  away  the  crop  with  the  feathers,  and 
cast  them  east  of  the  altar  amongst  the  ashes.  He  then 
cleft  the  bird  without  dividing  it,  and  salted  and  burnt 
it.  If  the  person  was  too  poor  to  bring  a  dove  or  pigeon, 
he  was  to  bring  a  mincha,  or  meat-offering,  for  which  see 
"  Meat-offerings  "  (sect.  184).  The  fire  used  on  this  altar 
first  came  down  from  heaven,  and  was  never  suffered  to 
go  out  (see  sect.  149).  Nadab  and  Abihu,  the  two  elder 
sons  of  Aaron  by  Elisheba,  were  destroyed  by  fire  from 
heaven  because  they  presumed  to  use  strange  fire.  Lev. 
ix.;  X. 

170.  2d,  Teace- offerings, — These  comprehended 
thank-offerings,  freewill-offerings,  and  offerings  made  in 
consequence  of  vows,  and  were  made  in  token  of  peace 
and  reconciliation  between  God  and  man.  The  common 
offerings  were  a  calf,  lamb,  or  goat,  accompanied  by  a 
proper  meat-offering.  In  the  case  of  vows  and  thank- 
offerings,  the  victim  was  to  be  without  any  blemish  what- 
ever; but  in  the  case  of  freewill-offerings,  it  might  be 
either  lacking  or  superfluous  in  its  parts.  The  victim 
being  brought,  the  offerer  laid  his  hand  upon  its  head  as 
an  acknowledgment  of  his  guilt,  and  it  w^as  killed  before 
the  tabernacle.  Its  blood  was  then  sprinkled  round 
about  the  altar :  the  fat,  kidneys,  caul,  and,  if  it  was  a 
lamb,  the  rump  also,  were  burnt  on  it ;  the  breast  was 
then  waved  and  the  shoulder  heaved,  and  both  became 
the  property  of  the  priests ;  and  the  remainder  was  eaten 
by  the  offerer  under  three  restrictions  :  1st.  If  the 
peace-offering  was  for  a  thanksgiving,  its  flesh  was  to  be 
eaten  on  the  same  day  that  the  sacrifice  was  made,  and 
all  that  remained  on  the  morrow  was  to  be  burnt ;  but  if 
the  peace-offering  was  for  a  vow  or  a  voluntary  oftering, 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  103 

its  flesh  might  be  eaten  on  the  morrow  also,  and  all  that 
remained  on  the  third  day  was  to  be  burnt.  If  this  law 
was  infringed,  the  sacrifice  was  of  no  effect.  2d.  If  the 
flesh  touched  any  unclean  thing,  it  was  to  be  burnt.  3d. 
The  persons  who  partook  of  it  were  not  to  be  unclean 
from  any  circumstances,  and  it  was  declared  that  who- 
ever infringed  this  law  would  be  cut  off.  The  appointed 
seasons  and  occasions  of  the  peace-offering  were — 1.  At 
the  consecration  of  a  priest ;  2.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
Nazarite  vow ;  3.  At  the  solemn  dedication  of  the  taber- 
nacle ;  4.  At  the  purification  of  a  leper.  Lev.  iii. ;  vii. 
11-38. 

171.  3d.  Sin-offerings, — These  were  made  for  sins 
committed  through  ignorance,  either  by  individuals  or 
by  the  whole  congregation,  also  as  a  purification  from  sin 
or  uncleanness,  as  one  was  offered  at  the  consecration  of 
Aaron,  and  others  were  to  be  made  at  the  cleansing  of 
a  leper  and  the  purification  of  a  woman  after  childbirth. 
Sin-offerings  were  made  in  four  different  ways — for  a 
priest,  a  ruler,  a  common  individual,  or  for  the  whole 
congregation. 

172.  Sin-offering  for  a  Priest. — The  priest  was  to 
kill  a  young  bullock  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and 
dip  his  fingers  into  the  blood  and  sprinkle  it  seven  times 
before  the  veil  of  the  sanctuary.  He  was  then  to  put 
some  of  the  blood  upon  the  horns  of  the  altar  of  sweet 
incense  within  the  tabernacle,  and  pour  the  remainder  at 
the  foot  of  the  altar  of  burnt-offering  at  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle.  He  was  then  to  take  all  the  fat,  with  the 
two  kidneys  and  caul,  and  burn  them  upon  the  altar  of 
burnt-offering,  but  all  the  remainder  of  the  bullock,  skin 
and  all,  was  to  be  burnt  Avithout  the  camp. 

173.  For  the  Congregation.— A  young  bullock  was 
to  be  brought  as  before  to  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and 
after  the  elders  of  the  congregation  had  placed  their 
hands  upon  its  head,  it  was  to  be  killed  with  the  same 
ceremonies,  saving  that  only  its  fat  was  to  be  burnt  on 
the  altar.  The  remainder  of  the  bullock  was  in  this 
case  also  to  be  burnt  without  the  camp. 

174.  For  a  Miller. — The  offerer  was  to  bring  a  male 
kid  of  the  goats  and  place  his  hand  upon  his  head.  The 
priest  was  then  to  kill  it  with  the  same  ceremonies,  burn 


104  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

only  the  fat  upon  the  altar,  and  receive  the  remainder 
for  his  portion. 

175.  For  a  Common  Individual, — The  offerer  was 
to  bring  a  female  kid  or  lamb,  which  was  to  be  slain 
with  the  same  ceremonies.  The  fat  only  was  to  be  of- 
fered, and  the  priest  was  to  receive  the  remainder.  In 
Ihe  case  of  purification  of  a  leper  or  of  a  woman  after 
childbirth,  if  the  offerer  could  not  bring  a  lamb,  two 
turtles  or  young  pigeons  were  to  be  offered,  one  for  a 
sin-offering  and- the  other  for  a  burnt-offering.  Lev.  iv.; 
vi.  24-30. 

176.  4th f  Trespass-offerings, — These  were  made  when 
the  party  had  committed  any  trespass  unw^ittingly,  and  also 
in  the  purgation  of  certain  corporeal  impurities.  It  is 
difficult  to  define  the  difference  between  the  two  classes 
of  sins  or  trespasses  for  which  sin-offerings  and  trespass- 
offerings  were  made.  In  both  sacrifices  the  offerer  placed 
his  hand  upon  the  victim's  head  and  confessed  his  sin  or 
trespass  over  it,  and  neither  of  them  was  ever  admitted 
as  a  voluntary  oblation.  The  sex  of  the  victims  and  the 
sacrificial  rites  were,  however,  different.  The  offerings 
for  trespass  were  to  consist  of  rams  or  he-lambs,  which 
were  never  used  for  sin-offerings,  though  turtle-doves  or 
pigeons  might  be  brought  in  both  cases.  Again,  the 
blood  of  the  sin-offering  was  to  be  put  upon  the  horns 
of  the  altar,  whilst  that  of  the  trespass-offering  was  to  be 
sprinkled  on  the  altar's  sides.  Sin-offerings  were  also  of- 
fered for  the  whole  congregation,  whilst  the  trespass-offer- 
ing was  only  required  from  individuals;  and  the  latter 
was  also  accompanied  by  a  restitution  for  damage,  and 
one-fifth  added.  Trespass-offerings  were  made  in  six 
cases — viz.  1.  For  things  stolen,  unjustly  gotten,  or  de- 
tained; 2.  For  sacrilege;  3.  For  inadvertent  unclean- 
ness;  4.  For  violating  a  bondmaid;  5.  For  a  Nazarite; 
6.  For  a  leper.  Lev.  v.;  vi.  1-7;  vii.  1-10. 

177.  Typical  Cliaracter  of  tlie  Levitical  Sacrifices, 
— I.  The  Burnt-offering  prefigured  the  full,  perfect, 
and  sufficient  sacrifice  of  Christ  "  to  put  away  sin,"  and 
who  by  his  "one  offering  hath  perfected  for  ever  them 
that  are  sanctified."  Heb.  ix.  26 ;  x.  14.  II.  The  Peace- 
offering  represented  Christ's  oblation  of  himself,  where- 
by he  became  our  peace  and  salvation :  "  For  he  is  our 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  105 

peace."  Eph.  ii.  14.  III.  The  Sin-offeeing  for  sins  of 
ignorance,  being  consumed  without  the  camp,  signified 
Christ's  suffering  "  without  the  gate,  that  he  might  sanc- 
tify the  people  with  his  own  blood."  Heb.  xiii.  11-13. 
IV.  The  Trespass-offering  for  sins  knowingly  com- 
mitted represents  Christ,  who  is  said  to  have  "made 
his  soul  an  offering  for  sin."  Isa.  liii.  10. 

2.   Oblations. 

178.  1st,  Ordinary  Oblations:  Sheiv-hread  and 
Incense, — Ordinary  oblations  were  of  two  kinds — viz. 
1st.  Shew-bread,  or  twelve  loaves,  according  to  the 
twelve  tribes,  which  the  priests  placed  hot  every  Sab- 
bath morning  on  the  golden  table  in  the  sanctuary,  at 
the  same  time  that  they  removed  the  stale  loaves  which 
had  been  exposed  during  the  preceding  week ;  and  they 
alone  were  permitted  to  eat  this  stale  shew-bread ;  2d. 
Incense,  consisting  of  fragrant  spices  mixed  with  frank- 
incense and  beat  small,  which  was  offered  every  morning 
and  evening  on  the  golden  altar  of  incense  within  the  tab- 
ernacle, whilst  the  people  silently_  prayed  without.  No 
similar  incense  was  to  be  used  by  the  people  under  pain 
of  death.  Ex.  xxv.  30 ;  xxx.  34-38. 

179.  2d,  Free  Oblations, — These  were  the  fruits  of 
promises  and  voavs.  Of  vows  there  were  two  kinds — 1st. 
The  vow  of  consecration,  when  anything  was  devoted 
either  for  the  sacrifice  or  for  the  service  of  the  temple,  as 
wood,  salt,  wine,  etc. ;  2d.  The  vow  of  engagement, 
when  persons  engaged  to  do  something  that  was  not  in 
itself  unlawful,  as  not  to  eat  some  particular  meat  or 
wear  some  particular  habits,  or  not  to  cut  their  hair 
or  drink  wine,  etc.     (See  "Vows,"  sect.  197.) 

180.  3d,  Prescribed  Oblations. — These  were  of  three 
kinds :  first-fruits,  firstlings,  and  tithes. 

181.  1,  First-fruits. — All  first-fruits  were  consecrated 
to  God,  being  made  both  for  the  whole  nation  and  for  each 
particular  family.  The  Jews  were  prohibited  from  gath- 
ering in  the  harvest  before  they  had  offered  the  omer  or 
new  sheaf,  which  was  presented  on  the  day  after  the 
great  day  of  unleavened  bread ;  neither  were  they  al- 
lowed to  bake  any  bread  from  the  new  corn  before  they 


106  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

had  offered  two  new  loaves  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
Without  this  all  the  corn  was  unclean.  The  person 
presenting  the  first-fruits  was  to  give  them  to  the  priest, 
who  was  to  place  them  by  the  side  of  the  altar ;  and  the 
offerer  was  then  to  repeat  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving  to 
God  for  delivering  him  from  Egypt  and  leading  him 
to  the  land  of  milk  and  honey.  The  first-fruits  of 
corn,  wine,  oil,  and  wool  afterward  belonged  to  the 
priests. 

182.  2.  Fh'stUngs, — The  first-born  of  all  males  of 
both  men  and  animals  belonged  to  God.  The  firstling 
of  a  cow,  sheep,  or  goat  was  unredeemable  and  sacri- 
ficed, its  blood  sprinkled  and  fat  burnt  upon  the  altar, 
and  the  remainder  given  to  the  priests.  But  the  first- 
ling of  a  man  or  an  unclean  animal  was  to  be  redeemed 
by  the  payment  of  5  shekels  [2  oz.  b\  dwts.  =  lis.  4c?.]. 

183.  5.  Tithes, — The  Jews  paid  tenths  or  tithes  of  all 
they  possessed  to  the  Levites  every  year,  except  the  sab- 
batical year,  and  the  Levites,  again,  paid  a  tenth  of  the 
tithe  they  received  to  the  priests.  When  the  owners  had 
paid  this  first  tithe  they  gave  a  second  tithe,  which  was 
eaten  at  offering  feasts  as  a  sign  of  rejoicing  and  grati- 
tude to  God.  A  third  tithe  was  given  to  the  poor,  to- 
gether with  a  corner  of  every  field,  which  it  was  not 
lawful  to  reap  with  the  rest,  and  such  ears  of  corn, 
grapes,  or  sheaves  as  were  dropped,  scattered,  or  forgotten. 
Field-tithes  might  be  redeemed  by  paying  one-fifth  more 
than  the  estimation  of  their  value,  but  tithes  of  cattle 
could  not  be  redeemed.  The  payment  and  valuation 
of  the  tithes  were  left  to  the  people,  though  the  Levites 
were  not  prohibited  from  seeing  after  them.  The  pay- 
ment of  the  second  tithe  was  merely  secured  by  the  dec- 
laration which  they  made  every  three  years  before  God. 
If  a  person  had  not  paid  his  tithes,  and  afterward  re- 
pented, he  could  atone  for  his  omission  by  paying  an 
additional  fifth  with  his  tithe  and  making  a  trespass- 
offering.  Lev.  xxvii. ;  Num.  xviii. 

184.  3Ieat-offerings. — The  meat-offerings,  or  minclia^ 
consisted  of  meal,  bread,  cakes,  ears  of  corn,  or  parched 
grain,  prepared  with  oil  and  frankincense  in  different 
proportions  according  to  the  victims  or  occasions.  They 
were  always  to  be  salted,  but  to  *be  free  from  leaven  or 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  107 

honey.  They  always  accompanied  burnt-offerings  and 
peace-offerings,  excepting  when  the  victims  were  birds, 
which  were  not  substituted  for  quadrupeds,  but  w^ere 
never  presented  as  a  sin-offering,  excepting  when  the 
offerer  w^as  too  poor  to  afford  two  pigeons  or  turtle- 
doves, and  as  accompanying  the  sacrifice  of  a  purified 
leper.  Lev.  ii.;  vi.  14-23;  Num.  xv. 

185.  Drink-offerings, — These  were  never  used  sepa- 
rately, but  were  an  accompaniment  to  both  sacrifices  and 
oblations.  They  consisted  of  wine,  part  of  which  was 
poured  upon  the  victim  and  meat-offering  whilst  lying 
on  the  altar,  and  the  remainder  was  allotted  to  the 
priests.  Num.  xv. 

186.  National  Sacrifices. — These  were  of  four  kinds 
— viz.  1.  T\iQ  perpetual  or  daihj  sacrifice,  consisting  of  one 
lamb  offered  as  a  burnt-offering  every  morning,  and  an- 
other every  evening,  at  the  third  and  ninth  hours,  by  a 
small  fire,  and  accompanied  by  a  meat  and  drink-offer- 
ing; 2.  The  weekly  or  Sabbath-day  sacrifice,  which  was 
equal  to  the  daily  sacrifice,  and  offered  in  addition  to  it ; 
3.  The  monthly  or  new-moon  sacrifice,  at  the  beginning  of 
each  month,  consisting  of  two  young  bullocks,  one  ram, 
and  seven  lambs  of  a  year  old  for  a  burnt-offering,  and 
one  kid  for  a  sin-offering,  all  of  which  were  to  be  accom- 
panied by  suitable  meat-  and  drink-offerings;  4.  The 
yearly  sacrifices  on  the  great  annual  festivals — viz.  1st. 
The  Passover;  2d.  Tabernacles;  3d.  Pentecost;  4th.  The 
new  moon  or  beginning  of  the  civil  year,  called  the 
feast  of  trumpets;  5th.  The  day  of  expiation  or  atone- 
ment Num.  xxviii. 


4.  Annual  Feasts  and  Festivals,  Sabbatical 
Years,  Jubilee,  etc. 

187.  Classification, — Moses  instituted  five  annual  fes- 
tivals— viz.  those  of  Passover,  Pentecost,  tabernacles,  trum- 
pets, and  expiation.  At  the  three  first  all  the  males  of 
the  twelve  tribes  were  bound  to  be  present,  and  were 
promised  that  when  residing  in  Canaan  no  man  should 
desire  their  land  whilst  they  were  absent  at  Jerusalem ; 
and  on  these  occasions  no  Israelite  was  to  appear  before 
the  Lord  without  some  offering.     The  last  two  festivals 


108  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

were  celebrated  with  great  solemnity,  though  the  presence 
of  every  male  Israelite  was  not  absolutely  required. 

188.  First  Feast,  Fassover,  or  Unleavened  Bread, 

This  feast  was  first  instituted  on  the  night  before  the 
exode  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt,  and  was  ordered  to  be 
kejDt  as  a  perpetual  memorial  of  their  deliverance.  (Sect. 
97.)  It  lasted  for  seven  days,  commencing  on  the  four- 
teenth day  of  the  first  month,  Nisan  or  Abib,  when  the 
paschal  lamb  was  slain,  and  continuing  until  the  twenty- 
first  day,  during  which  unleavened  bread  only  was  eaten, 
in  remembrance  of  the  bread  which  the  Israelites  were 
obliged  to  carry  from  Egypt  in  the  hurry  of  their  depar- 
ture. All  Israelites  were  compelled  to  keep  the  feast 
under  pain  of  death ;  but  if  any  were  unclean  or  on  a 
journey,  they  might  postpone  its  celebration  until  the 
fourteenth  day  of  the  second  or  ensuing  month.  The 
paschal  lamb  was  to  be  a  male  without  blemish,  and  to  be 
taken  from  the  sheep  or  goats  four  days  before  the  feast ; 
it  was  to  be  roasted  whole,  eaten  with  unleavened  bread 
and  bitter  herbs,  no  bones  to  be  broken,  and  all  that  re- 
mained in  the  morning  was  to  be  burnt.  One  lamb  was 
to  be  killed  for  every  family,  but  tAvo  or  three  families 
might  join  together ;  and  they  were  to  eat  it  standing, 
with  their  loins  girded,  their  sandals  on  their  feet,  and 
their  staves  in  their  hands.  Ex.  xii. ;  Lev.  xxiii.  4-8. 

189.  Second  Feast,  Fentecost,  or  Weeks,  Harvest, 
or  First-fruits, — This  feast  was  called — 1st.  The  feast 
of  Weeks,  because  it  was  celebrated  seven  weeks,  or  a 
week  of  weeks,  after  the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread ; 
2d.  The  feast  of  Harvest  and  the  day  of  First-Fruits, 
because  on  this  day  the  Jews  presented  the  first-fruits  of 
the  wheat-harvest  in  two  loaves  baked  of  the  new  corn  ; 
and  3d.  The  feast  of  Pentecost  (Ih>rrj-/.o(Trr]),  because  it 
was  kept  on  the  fiftieth  day  after  the  first  day  of  the  feast 
of  unleavened  bread.  Its  object  was  also  to  commem- 
orate the  promulgation  of  the  law  on  Mount  Sinai,  and  it 
lasted  seven  days.  Wheaten  loaves  and  first-fruits  were 
presented ;  seven  lambs  of  the  first  year,  one  young  bul- 
lock, and  two  rams  were  sacrificed  as  burnt-ofierings, 
accompanied  with  meat-  and  drink-offerings ;  one  kid  of 
the  goats  was  offered  as  a  sin-offering,  and  two  lambs  of 
the  first  year  were  offered  for  a  peace-offering.  Lev.  xxiii. 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  109 

15-21.  [It  was  at  this  feast  that  the  Holy  Ghost  de- 
scended on  the  apostles  in  the  shape  of  cloven  tongues. 
Acts  ii.  Christians  keep  it  on  Whitsunday,  fifty  days 
after  Easter.] 

190.  Third  Feast,  Tabernacles, — This  feast,  the  last 
of  the  three  great  festivals,  lasted  also  for  a  week,  and 
was  instituted  to  commemorate  the  dwelling  of  the  Israel- 
ites in  tents  in  the  wilderness.  During  the  whole  festival 
the  people  dwelt  in  tents  or  tabernacles  made  of  boughs 
and  branches,  and  carried  in  their  hands  branches  of 
palm  trees,  olives,  citrons,  myrtles,  and  willows.  On  the 
first  day,  which  was  accounted  a  Sabbath,  thirteen  bul- 
locks, two  rams,  and  fourteen  lambs  were  sacrificed  as  a 
burnt-ofiering,  Avith  their  accompanying  meat-  and  drink- 
offerings,  and  one  kid  was  offered  as  a  sin-offering.  For 
the  six  succeeding  days  these  sacrifices  were  regularly  de- 
creased one  bullock  daily,  and  on  the  eighth  day,  w^hich 
was  accounted  a  Sabbath,  there  were  only  one  bullock, 
one  ram,  seven  lambs,  and  one  kid  offered  as  burnt-  and 
peace-offerings,  together  with  their  meat-  and  drink-offer- 
ings. Lev.  xxiii. ;  Num.  xix.  33-44 

191.  Fourth  Feast f  Trunij)ets. — This  feast  was  held 
on  the  first  and  second  days  of  the  month  Tizri,  and 
formed  the  commencement  of  the  civil  year,  in  the 
same  way  that  the  Passover  commenced  the  sacred  year. 
During  this  festival  no  labors  were  performed,  a  religious 
convocation  of  all  the  people  was  held,  and  trumpets  were 
continually  blown.  The  extra  burnt-offering  consisted  of 
one  young  bullock,  one  ram,  and  seven  lambs,  with  their 
meat-  and  drink-offerings,  and  one  kid  of  the  goats  was 
offered  for  a  peace-offering.  Lev.  xxiii.  23-25 ;  Num. 
xxix.  1-6. 

192.  Fifth  Feast,  or  Fast  of  Expiation,  or  Day 
of  Atonement, — This  was  celebrated  on  the  tenth  day 
of  Tizri,  and  was  observed  as  a  strict  fast,  the  people 
abstaining  from  all  servile  work,  taking  no  food,  and 
afflicting  their  souls.  The  sacrifices  on  this  day  were 
the  most  solemn  and  important  of  all  that  were  or- 
dained in  the  Mosaic  ritual.  On  this  day  only  was  the 
high  priest  alone  permitted  to  enter  the  sanctuary,  and 
not  even  then  without  preparation,  under  pain  of  death. 
Having  washed  himself  in  water  and  put  on  his  holy 

10 


110  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

linen  garments  and  mitre,  the  high  priest  performed  the 
following  ceremonies: 

1.  Offerings  for  Himself,  Household,  Priests,  and  Levites. 
— He  was  to  go  into  the  outer  sanctuary  and  present  to 
the  Lord  a  ram  for  a  burnt-oifering,  and  a  young  bullock 
as  a  sin-offering  for  himself,  his  household,  and  the  priests 
and  Levites. 

2.  For  the  Congregation. — He  was  to  present  two  young 
goats  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  to  be  a  sin-offering  for 
the  whole  congregation,  together  with  one  ram  for  a 
burnt-offering. 

3.  Casts  Lots  for  the  Scapegoat. — He  was  to  cast  lots 
upon  the  two  goats,  to  see  which  was  to  be  sacrificed  for  a 
sin-offering  to  the  Lord,  and  which  was  to  be  let  go  for  a 
SCAPEGOAT  into  the  wilderness. 

4.  Sprinkles  Blood  on  the  Merey-seat. — He  was  to  sacri- 
fice the  bullock  as  a  sin-offering  for  himself  and  house- 
hold, etc.,  and  to  take  some  of  the  blood  into  the  inner 
sanctuary,  bearing  in  his  hand  a  censer  of  burning  in- 
cense kindled  at  the  sacred  fire  on  the  altar,  and  to 
sprinkle  the  blood  seven  times  with  his  finger  upon  and 
before  the  mercy-seat,  to  purify  it  from  the  pollution  it 
might  be  supposed  to  have  contracted  from  his  sins  and 
transgressions  during  the  preceding  year. 

5.  Sacrifices  one  Goat. — He  was  to  sacrifice  the  allotted 
goat  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  nation,  and  to  enter  the 
inner  sanctuary  a  second  time  and  sprinkle  it  with  the 
blood  as  before,  to  purify  it  from  the  pollution  of  the 
people's  sins  and  transgressions  of  the  preceding  year; 
after  which  he  was  also  to  purify  the  tabernacle  and  altar 
in  the  same  manner. 

6.  Ceremonies  with  the  Scapegoat. — He  was  to  bring  the 
live  goat,  lay  both  his  hands  upon  its  head,  and  confess 
over  it  all  the  sins,  iniquities,  and  transgressions  of  the 
children  of  Israel ;  and  after  thus  transferring  them  to 
the  animal,  he  was  to  send  it  away  by  the  hand  of  a  fit 
person  into  the  wilderness,  to  bear  away  all  their  iniquities 
into  an  unpeopled  land,  where  they  should  be  remembered 
no  more. 

7.  Concluding  Ceremonies. — He  was  to  put  off  his  linen 
garments  and  leave  them  in  the  sanctuary,  and  wash  him- 
self again  in  water,  and  put  on  his  usual  raiment,  and 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  Ill 

then  to  offer  burnt-offerings  for  himself  and  people  at  the 
evening  sacrifice.  After  the  fat  of  the  bullock  and  goat 
sacrificed  for  sin-offerings  had  been  burnt  upon  the  altar, 
the  remainder  of  their  carcass,  skin,  etc.  was  to  be  burnt 
without  the  camp,  and  the  burner  was  afterward  to  wash 
his  clothes  and  bathe  in  water.  The  person  who  let  the 
scapegoat  go  in  the  wilderness  was  likewise  to  wash  his 
clothes  and  bathe.  Lev.  xvi. ;  xxiii.  26-32 ;  Num.  xxix. 
(See  sect.  196.) 

193.  [^Later  Feasts — Purim,  Dedication,  etc, — Be- 
sides the  above  annual  festivals,  the  Jews  introduced  in 
later  times  several  fasts  and  feasts  in  addition  to  those 
instituted  by  Moses.  The  two  principal  festivals  of  this 
kind  were — 

I.  The  Feast  of  Purim,  when  all  the  people  assem- 
bled to  curse  Haman.  Esth. 

II.  The  Feast  of  Dedication,  which  was  instituted 
by  Judas  Maccabseus,  in  imitation  of  those  by  Solomon 
and  Ezra,  as  a  grateful  memorial  of  the  cleansing  of  the 
second  temple  and  altar,  after  they  had  been  profaned  by 
Antiochus  Epiphanes.  1  Mace.  iv.  52-59. 

Besides  these  two  festivals,  several  fasts  were  instituted 
on  various  occasions,  particularly  to  commemorate  the 
disastrous  events  which  preceded  or  followed  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity.] 

194.  The  Sabbatical  Year, — Whilst  every  seventh 
day  was  consecrated  as  a  day  of  rest  for  man  and  beast, 
svery  seventh  year  was  set  apart  as  a  year  of  rest  for  the 
land.  During  that  year  the  earth  was  to  lie  entirely 
fallow,  and  its  spontaneous  produce  was  to  be  enjoyed  by 
the  servants,  strangers,  and  cattle.  All  Hebrew  debtors 
and  Hebrew  servants  were  also  to  be  released  from  their 
debts  or  service.  If  the  latter  chose  to  remain  with  his 
master,  he  must  have  his  ears  bored.  Deut.  xv.  In  orler 
to  prevent  famine  in  this  and  the  ensuing  year,  triple  pro- 
duce was  promised  on  the  sixth  or  preceding  year.     Lev. 

XXV. 

195.  TJie  Jubilee, — This  was  a  more  solemn  sabbatical 
year,  held  every  fiftieth  year  or  every  seventh  sabbatical 
year.  On  the  tenth  day  of  Tizri,  being  the  great  day  of 
atonement,  the  trumpets  were  to  be  sounded  throughout 
the  land,  all  debts  to  be  cancelled,  and  all  slaves  and  cap- 


112  LEVITICUS. 


c.  1490. 


tives,  even  those  who  had  their  ears  bored,  to  be  set  at 
liberty.  All  estates  which  had  been  sold  were  now  to 
revert  to  their  original  proprietors,  or  to  the  families  to 
which  they  had  originally  belonged.  The  value  and  pur- 
chase-money of  estates  were  thus  diminished  as  the  year 
of  jubilee  approached.  Houses  in  walled  towns  were  ex- 
cepted from  this  rule ;  these  were  to  be  redeemed  within 
a  year,  or  otherwise  belonged  to  the  purchaser,  notwith- 
standing the  jubilee.  During  this  year  the  land  was  un- 
cultivated, as  in  the  sabbatical  year.  Lev.  xxv. 

196.  Typical  Intiniations  of  the  Messiah  to  he 
found  in  the  Fasts  and  Festivals, — The  three  great 
feasts  may  be  considered  to  be  typical  of  the  principal 
events  in  the  life  of  Christ.  I.  The  Passover  prefigured 
his  death  and  passion,  and  is  the  analogue  of  the  Christian 
institution  of  the  Eucharist.  II.  The  Pentecost  com- 
memorates the  first-fruits  of  his  Spirit,  which  subsequently 
descended  at  the  commemoration  of  the  festival.  III. 
The  Feast  of  Tabernacles  prefigures  his  birth  and  in- 
carnation, when  "  the  Word  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt 
[tahernacled]  among  us."  John  i.  14. 

The  solemn  day  of  expiation  was,  however,  the  most 
strikingly  typical  of  Christ's  ministry  and  atonement,  and 
in  the  following  ways : 

1.  Our  Lord,  the  High  Priest  of  our  profession,  com- 
menced his  ministry  by  baptism  "  to  fulfil  all  legal  right- 
eousness." Matt.  iii.  13-15. 

2.  He  was  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit  into  the  wilderness 
as  the  true  scapegoat,  who  "  bore  away  our  infirmities, 
and  carried  off  our  diseases."  Matt.  viii.  17. 

3.  Before  his  crucifixion  "he  was  afflicted/^  and  "his 
soul  was  exceedingly  sorrowful  unto  death  "  when  he  was 
to  be  made  a  sin-offering  like  the  allotted  goat.  Matt.  xxvi. 
38  ;  2  Cor.  v.  21 ;  Heb.  i.  3. 

4.  "  His  sweat,  as  great  drops  of  blood  falling  to  the 
ground,"  corresponded  to  the  sprinkling  of  the  mercy- 
seat.  Luke  xxii.  44. 

5.  To  prepare  for  his  own  sacrifice,  he  consecrated  him- 
self in  prayer  to  God,  and  then  prayed  for  his  household 
— apostles  and  disciples — and  for  all  future  believers. 
Matt.  xxvi.  39-46 ;  John  xvii.  1-9,  20-26. 

6.  He  put  off  his  garments  at  his  crucifixion,  when  he 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  113 

became  the  sin-offering  (John  xix.  23,  24),  and,  as  our 
spiritual  High  Priest,  entered  into  the  most  holy  place, 
heaven,  to  make  intercession  with  God  for  all  his  faithful 
followers.  Heb.  vii.  24-28  ;  ix.  7-15.  "  Who  was  delivered 
for  our  offences,  and  was  raised  again  for  our  justifica- 
tion." Kom.  iv.  25. 

The  jubilee  year  had  also  a  typical  design  and  use, 
which  is  thus  pointed  out  by  Isaiah :  "  The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  God  is  upon  me,  because  the  Lord  hath  anointed 
me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek ;  he  hath  sent 
me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  proclaim  liberty  to 
the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that 
are  bound ;  to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord." 
Isa.  Ixi.  1,  2.  The  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  when 
liberty  was  proclaimed  to  the  captives  and  the  opening  of 
the  prison  to  them  that  were  bound,  evidently  refers  to 
the  jubilee,  but  in  the  prophetic  sense  means  the  gospel 
state  and  dispensation,  which  proclaim  spiritual  liberty 
from  the  bondage  of  sin  and  Satan  and  the  liberty  of  re- 
turning to  our  own  possession,  even  the  heavenly  inherit- 
ance, to  which,  having  incurred  a  forfeiture  by  sin,  we 
had  lost  all  right  and  claim. 

5.  Vows. 

197.  Nature  of  Vows* — Vows  were  religious  engage- 
ments or  promises  voluntarily  undertaken  by  a  person 
toward  the  Almighty.  Though  the  Israelites  were  not 
counselled  or  encouraged  to  make  them,  yet  Jehovah  him- 
self had  declared  his  acceptance  of  them,  and  they  were 
therefore  binding  not  only  in  a  moral  view,  but  according 
to  the  national  law,  and  the  priest  was  authorized  to  en- 
force and  estimate  their  fulfilment. 

198.  Hoiv  far  Valid, — To  render  a  vow  valid  three 
things  were  required  by  Moses:  1st.  That  it  should  be 
actually  uttered  with  the  lips,  and  not  merely  made  in  the 
heart ;  2d.  That  the  party  making  it  should  be  independ- 
ent of  the  authority  of  others  and  competent  to  under- 
take the  obligation :  thus  the  vows  of  minors,  unmarried 
daughters  under  the  parental  roof,  wives,  slaves,  etc.,  were 
all  invalid  unless  ratified  by  the  express  or  tacit  consent 
of  their  fathers,  husbands,  or  masters ;  3d.  That  the  things 

10*  H 


114  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  U90. 

vowed  should  not  be  the  hire  of  a  prostitute  or  price  of  a 
dog.  Lev.  xxvii. ;  Num.  xxx. ;  Deut.  xxiii.  18. 

199.  Classification, — Common  vows  were  of  two  kinds : 
I.  Vows  OF  Dedication  ;  II.  Vows  of  Self-interdic- 
tion AND  Nazaritism.  Bcsides  these  was  the  Cherem, 
a  solemn  kind  of  anathema,  which  was  accompanied  by  a 
form  of  execration,  and  could  not  be  redeemed. 

200.  J.  Votvs  of  Dedication, — These  were  undertaken 
when  a  person  engaged  to  bring  an  offering  to  God  or  to 
dedicate  anything  to  him.  There  were  four  kinds  of  things 
vowed  in  this  way — viz. : 

1st.  Unclean  Beasts.  As  these  could  not  be  offered 
to  God,  they  were  to  be  redeemed  by  the  vowers,  who 
paid  one-fifth  more  than  the  value  as  estimated  by  the 
priest. 

2d.  Clean  Beasts  for  Offerings.  These  could  not 
be  redeemed  nor  exchanged  for  others,  under  penalty  of 
both  being  forfeited  to  the  Lord.  No  firstlings  could  be 
vowed,  because  they  were  already  devoted  to  God.  (See 
"  Firstlings,"  sect.  182.) 

3d.  Houses  and  Lands. — Houses  might  be  redeemed 
by  paying  one-fifth  more  than  the  value,  as  estimated  by 
the  priest.  Land  might  be  redeemed  in  the  same  man- 
ner, but  was  to  be  estimated  according  to  the  seed  it  would 
require  (fifty  shekels  [22f  oz.  =  £5  13s.  lOd]  to  each  homer 
[7  bushels  3  pecks  If  pints]  of  barley-seed),  and  also  ac- 
cording to  the  years  that  remained  before  the  year  of 
jubilee,  when,  of  course,  it  would  revert  to  its  hereditary 
owner.  If,  however,  the  person  who  vowed  or  sanctified 
the  land  would  not  redeem  it,  and  the  priest,  upon  his  re- 
fusal, should  sell  it  to  another  man,  then  the  land  would 
not  revert  to  its  original  possessor  at  the  jubilee,  but  would 
remain  holy  unto  the  Lord,  and  its  possession  would  revert 
to  the  priests. 

4th.  A  VowER  dedicating  himself. — In  these  cases 
the  vower  was  always  to  redeem  himself  according  to  the 
following  scale : 


Shekels.    £    s. 

d. 

5,  from  1  month  to  5  years  old  . 

.       5  =       11 

4 

.ES,                 "                 "                 "         . 

.       3  =        6 

9 

5,  from  5  years  to  20  years  old   . 

.    20  =  2    5 

6 

.ES,                «                "                «         . 

.     10  =  1     2 

9 

B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  115 

Shekels.  £  s.  d. 
Males,  from  20  years  to  60  years  old  .  50  =  5  13  10 
Females,  "  "  "  .     30  =  3    8    3 

Males,  from  sixty  years  old  and  upward     15  =  1  14     1 
Females,  "  "  "  .     10  =  1    2    9 

If  the  person  ^YllO  vowed  himself  was  very  poor,  the 
priest  might  estimate  him  at  a  still  lower  value.  Lev. 
xxvii. 

201.  II,  Voivs  of  Self-interdiction  and  Nazaritism. 

— These  consisted  in  a  person's  engaging  to  abstain  from 
wine,  food,  or  any  other  thing.  The  most  important  of 
these  vows  were  those  appertaining  to  Nazaritism.  Of 
Nazarites  there  were  two  classes:  1st.  Those  who  were 
Nazarites  by  birth  (as  Samson  and  John  the  Baptist) ; 
2d.  Those  who  were  Nazarites  by  engagement  and  for  a 
limited  time.  All  Nazarites  were  required — 1.  To  drink 
no  wine  or  strong  drink  of  any  kind ;  2.  To  eat  no  grapes 
or  anything  belonging  to  the  vine ;  3.  To  let  their  hair 
grow ;  4.  Not  to  defile  themselves  by  touching  the  dead 
or  mourning  for  their  relations.  If  any  one  died  in  the 
presence  of  a  Nazarite  of  the  second  class,  the  latter  was 
compelled  to  shave  his  head,  make  the  usual  oflferings, 
and  recommence  his  Nazariteship.  At  the  expiration  of 
the  vow  the  Nazarite  was  to  offer  at  the  door  of  the  taber 
nacle  one  male  lamb  of  the  first  year  for  a  burnt-offering, 
one  ewe-lamb  of  the  first  year  for  a  sin-offering,  and  one 
ram  for  a  peace-offering,  together  wdth  a  basket  of  un- 
leavened bread  and  meat-  and  drink-oflTerings.  He  was 
also  to  shave  his  head  and  place  the  hair  on  the  fire 
underneath  the  peace-offering,  and  the  priest  was  to  take 
the  sodden  shoulder  of  the  ram,  one  unleavened  cake,  and 
one  unleavened  wafer,  and,  placing  them  in  the  hands  of 
the  Nazarite,  he  was  to  wave  them  for  a  wave-offering. 
After  this  the  Nazarite  might  drink  wine.*  Num.  vi. 

202.  Tlie  Clierem  or  Anathema, — This  was  a  solemn 

*  The  Eechabites  are  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Nazarites.  The 
former  were  the  descendants  of  Jehonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab,  and 
became  famous  for  implicitly  following  these  directions  of  their  father 
— viz.  1.  To  drink  no  wine;  2.  To  possess  no  houses,  fields,  or  vine- 
yards; 3.  To  dwell  in  tents.  In  consequence  of  their  obedience,  God 
promised  that  the  posterity  of  Jehonadab  should  never  cease.  They 
appear  to  have  gained  their  living  by  being  scribes.  Jer.  xxxv. ;  1  Chron. 
ii.  55. 


116  *  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

kind  of  excommunication,  whicli  was  accompanied  by  a 
form  of  execration  and  could  not  be  redeemed.  The 
species  of  Cherem  with  which  we  are  best  acquainted 
was  the  imprecation  pronounced  upon  hostile  cities,  when 
the  inhabitants  were  to  be  put  to  death,  the  cattle  slain, 
the  houses  and  treasures  utterly  burnt  and  destroyed,  and 
a  curse  pronounced  upon  any  who  should  attempt  to  re- 
build it.  A  Cherem  was  thus  pronounced  against  Jeri- 
cho and  the  king  of  Arad,  and  against  any  Israelite  city 
which  should  introduce  or  practise  idolatry.  (See  "  First 
Commandment,"  and  Num.  xxi.  1-3 ;  Josh.  xii.  14.) 

6.  Purifications. 

203.  Nature  and  Classification  of  Purifications. — 

Jewish  purifications  were  of  three  kinds :  1st.  Purifica- 
tion AS  A  Religious  Ceremonial,  which  was  necessary 
for  all  persons  and  things  engaged  in  divine  worship ;  2d. 
Purification  from  Personal  Uncleanness;  3d.  Pu- 
rification FROM  Leprosy. 

204.  Materials  for  JPurifying* — Purifications  were 
performed  with  three  difiTerent  materials:  1.  By  the 
sprinkling  of  blood ;  2.  By  the  anointing  with  oil ;  3.  By 
the  water  of  purification,  which  was  drawn  from  a  spring 
or  running  stream,  and  was  either  pure,  or  mixed  with 
blood  or  with  the  ashes  of  a  red  heifer.  The  last  case 
alone  requires  description.  The  people  were  to  bring  a 
red  heifer  without  blemish,  and  which  had  never  borne  a 
yoke,  to  the  high  priest,  who  was  then  to  take  it  without 
the  camp,  kill  it  before  the  people,  sprinkle  its  blood 
seven  times  before  the  gate  of  the  tabernacle,  and  then 
to  burn  the  whole  (including  the  flesh,  hide,  blood,  and 
excrements),  casting  into  the  fire  a  bundle  of  cedar-wood, 
some  hyssop,  and  double-dyed  scarlet.  The  ashes  were 
then  carefully  collected  and  put  in  a  clean  place,  and 
both  the  high  priest  and  the  men  who  burnt  the  heifer  and 
gathered  together  its  ashes  were  to  wash  their  clothes, 
bathe  their  flesh,  and  be  unclean  until  the  evening.  JSTum. 
xix. 

205.  1st.  Purification  as  a  Religious  Cereinonial, 
— All  persons  and  things  dedicated  to  divine  worship 
were  to  undergo  purification.     The  Levites,  priests,  and 


B.  c.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  117 

high  priest  all  underwent  a  purification  previous  to  their 
consecration.  The  Israelites  washed  their  flesh  and 
clothes  previous  to  receiving  the  law ;  and  after  its  pro- 
mulgation and  the  people  had  declared  their  assent  to 
the  book  of  the  Covenant,  Moses  sprinkled  them  with 
blood.  The  tabernacle  and  all  its  sacred  vessels  were 
also  anointed  with  oil.  Those  about  to  offer  sacrifices  or 
prayers  were  also  lustrated,  and  especially  the  priests  and 
high  priest  before  executing  their  respective  ofiices.  Last- 
ly, all  who  were  adjudged  by  the  Mosaic  law  to  be  im- 
pure or  unclean  required  to  be  purified  before  they  could 
be  admitted  into  the  congregation  of  the  Lord.  Num. 
xix. ;  Lev.  viii. 

206.  2d,  Purification  froin  Personal  Unclean^ 
ness, — If  an  unclean  person  did  not  purify  himself,  he 
was  to  be  cut  off  from  the  congregation.  There  were  six 
species  of  uncleanness — viz.  I.  Dead  bodies;  II.  Gon- 
orrhoea, or  seed-flux ;  III.  Emisso  seminis ;  IV.  Child- 
birth;  V.  Menses  and  issues  of  blood;  VI.  Leprosy. 
If  a  clean  person  touched  an  unclean  one,  he  contracted 
a  similar  uncleanness,  and  both  were  excluded  from  the 
tabernacle  until  their  purification  was  completed.*  Lev. 
xi. ;  xii. ;  xv. ;  Num.  xix. 

207.  3d,  Purification  from  Leprosy, — As  this  fear- 
ful disease  was  contagious,  and  hereditary  to  the  third 
and  fourth  generations,  the  separation  of  lepers  from  the 
camp  and  congregation,  and  the  destruction  of  infected 
houses  and  clothes,  were  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the 
preservation  of  public  health.  Moses  thus  acted  respect- 
ing leprosy :  I.  He  ordered  every  man  attacked  by  a  cu- 
taneous disorder  to  show  himself  to  the  priest.  II.  He 
authorized  the  priests  to  examine  the  disease  wherever  it 
appeared.  III.  He  gave"  the  priests  ample  directions  for 
distinguishing  between  leprosy  and  a  harmless  spot  or 
scab,  lor  deciding  upon  its  progress  or  cure  in  man,  and 
for  eradicating  the  infection  from  walls  and  garments. 
IV.  He  prescribed  the  days  that  must  expire,  and  the 
sacrifices  and  ceremonies  to  be  performed,  before  the  leper 
could  be  finally  purified  and  restored  to  civil  society  and 
the  participation  in  things  holy.  Lev.  xiii. 

*  For  a  further  account  of  purifications,  etc.,  see  Michaelis. 


118  LEVITICUS.  B.  c.  1490. 

208.  Classification, — Leprosy  was  of  three  kinds — 
1st.  Leprosy  in  Man;  2d.  Leprosy  in  Houses;  3d. 
Leprosy  in  Clothes — for  each  of  which  a  purification 
was  required.  Lev.  xiii. 

209.  1st,  Leprosy  in  Man  :  Character  and  Symp~ 
toms, — This  disease  was  of  two  species — viz.  I.  Conta- 
gious Leprosy,  which  rendered  a  person  unclean,  and 
was  called  i^ora^, signifying  "venom"  or  "malignity;"  IL 
Uncontagious  Leprosy,  under  which  a  person  was  still 
elean,  and  which  was  called  bohak,  or  "  dull  white."  Both 
tsorat  and  bohak  were  also  called  berat,  signifying  "  bright 
spot,"  but  bohak  imported  brightness  in  a  subordinate 
degree. 

210.  Laivs  for  distinguishing  Leprosy, — When  a 
person  was  attacked  by  either  of  the  foregoing  affections, 
he  was  immediately  taken  to  the  priest ;  and  if  the  priest 
saw  the  bright-white  scarlet  surface  depressed  in  the  mid- 
dle and  the  white  patches,  he  immediately  declared  the 
person  to  be  leprous  and  unclean,  and  sent  him  without 
the  camp.  If  the  priest  had  any  doubt,  he  put  the  per- 
son under  domestic  confinement  for  seven  days,  and  then 
examined  him  a  second  time,  when,  if  it  had  spread,  etc., 
he  was  declared  leprous  and  unclean ;  if  it  had  subsided, 
he  was  discharged ;  but  if  it  was  stationary,  he  was  con- 
fined another  seven  days,  after  which  the  nature  of  the 
disease  always  exhibited  itself  If  leprosy  spread  over 
the  entire  frame  without  producing  ulceration,  it  lost  its 
contagious  power  or  exhausted  itself,  and  the  patient  was 
declared  clean  by  the  priest  whilst  the  dry  scales  were 
yet  upon  him.  Lev.  xiii.  12,  13.  If,  on  the  contrary,  the 
patches  should  ulcerate,  and  quick  or  fungous  flesh  spring 
up  in  them,  the  priest  was  at  once  to  pronounce  the  case 
to  be  an  inveterate  leprosy,  for  which  a  temporary  con- 
finement was  unnecessary ;  and  the  leper  was  unclean  for 
life.  Lev.  xiii. 

211.  Purification  from  Leprosy, — When  the  priest 
was  satisfied  that  the  leper  was  healed,  he  was  to  take  two 
birds,  and  kill  one  of  them  over  an  earthen  vessel  filled 
with  river  water,  so  that  the  blood  might  mingle  with  the 
water.  He  was  then  to  dip  the  other  bird  into  the  blood 
and  water  and  sprinkle  the  leper  with  it  seven  times  with 
a  stick  of  cedar  upon  which  a  bunch  of  hyssop  was  tied 


B.C.  1490.  LEVITICUS.  119 

with  a  scarlet  thread ;  after  which,  he  was  to  pronounce 
the  leper  clean  and  to  let  loose  the  living  bird.  The 
leper  was  then  to  wash  and  stay  without  the  camp  seven 
days,  and  on  the  seventh  day  to  shave  off  all  his  hair  and 
bathe.  On  the  eighth  day  he  was  to  take  to  the  priest 
two  male  lambs  and  one  ewe-lamb  of  the  first  year  for  a 
trespass-offering,  sin-offering,  and  burnt-offering,  together 
with  a  meat-offering,  and  one  log  [nearly  two-thirds  of  a 
pint]  of  oil.  If  the  leper  was  poor,  he  might  take  two 
turtle-doves  for  the  sin-offering  and  burnt-offering.  In 
offering  the  trespass-offering  the  priest  was  to  sprinkle 
the  blood  upon  the  leper's  right  ear,  thumb,  and  great 
toe.  He  was  then  to  do  the  same  with  the  oil  after 
sprinkling  it  seven  times  before  the  Lord ;  and  upon  the 
completion  of  the  sacrifices  the  leper  was  to  be  considered 
purified.  Lev.  xiv. 

212.  2d,  Leprosy  in  Houses, — This  exhibited  itself 
in  green  or  red  spots  on  the  walls,  continually  spreading, 
which  the  priest  was  to  examine,  and  then  order  the 
house  to  be  shut  up  for  seven  days.  If  after  this  the 
leprosy  had  not  spread,  the  house  was  shut  up  for  seven 
days  more.  If  it  was  then  dim  or  gone  away,  the  part 
of  the  w^all  was  to  be  taken  away  to  an  unclean  place, 
and  the  house  mended,  scraped,  and  replastered.  It  was 
then  shut  up  for  another  seven  days ;  and  if  after  this  the 
plague  broke  out  upon  it  anew,  it  was  to  be  pulled  down 
and  carried  away  to  an  unclean  place ;  but  if  it  was  pro- 
nounced clean,  two  birds  were  offered,  as  in  the  case  of 
human  leprosy.  Lev.  xiv. 

213.  TJiird,  Leprosy  in  Clothes, — This  also  exhib- 
ited itself  in  green  or  reddish  spots,  which  remained  in 
spite  of  washing,  and  continued  to  spread.  Suspected 
garments  were  to  be  examined  by  the  priest ;  if  he  found 
them  corroded,  he  burnt  them ;  but  if  the  spots  were 
taken  out  by  washing  he  pronounced  them  clean.  Lev. 
xiii. 


214.  Typical  Intimations  in  Leviticus, — (See  sect. 
169,  note,  and  sects.  177,  196.)  The  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews should  be  carefully  read  in  connection  with  Levit- 
icus, of  which  it  forms  an  important  illustration. 


120  NUMBERS.  B.  c.  1490. 


NUMBERS. 

{Numbering  and  Marshalling  of  the  Israelites.) 

HISTORY  OF  THE  ISRAELITES  PROM  THE  DELIVERING  OP  THE  LAW  AT  SINAI 
TO  THE  CONQUEST  OP  THE  COUNTRY  EAST  OP  THE  JORDAN.  B.  C,  1490  TO 
1451.— ABOUT  38  YEARS  AND  9  OR  10  MONTHS. 


ANALYSIS. 

I.   Wanderings  in  the  Wilderness. 

Review  of  the  chronology. — Numbering  of  the  people,  and 
inarch  from  Sinai  to  Zin,  1490. — March  to  Taberah ;  murmurings 
at  fatigue. — March  to  Kibroth-hattaavah  ;  murmuring  for  flesh ; 
quails  and  plague  sent. — Council  of  LXX.  appointed. — Sedition  of 
Aaron  and  Miriam  at  Hazeroth. — Encampment  at  Kadesh; 
spies  sent  to  Canaan. — Ten  spies  destroyed  ;  forty  years'  wanderings 
declared  ;  Israelites  defeated. — History  of  thirty-eight  years'  wan- 
derings, 1490-1451. — Rebellion  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram, 
1471. — Congregation  murmur  ;  14,700  slain  by  a  plague;  blossom- 
ing of  Aaron's  rod,  1471. — Return  to  Kadesh ;  water  from  Meri- 
bah ;  Moses  and  Aaron  sin,  1453 page  120. 

II.  Conquest  of  the  Country  east  of  the  Jordan. 

Israelites  refused  a  passage  through  Edom  ;  Aaron  dies  at  Hor, 
1452. — Defeat  of  the  Canaanites  at  Hormah. — March  from  Hor  to 
the  Arnon ;  fiery  serpents,  and  miracle  of  the  brazen  serpent. — 
Defeat  of  Sihon  and  Og,  1452. — Balak  fails  to  persuade  Balaam  to 
curse  Israel. — Israelites  commit  idolatry ;  Zirari  and  Cozbi  slain  by 
Phinehas. — Midianites  defeated  ;  Balaam  slain. — Second  muster- 
ing, 1451. — Census  of  1491  and  1451  compared.  Reuben,  Gad,  and 
half  Manasseh's  territory  east  of  the  Jordan,  1451. — Six  cities  of 
refuge ;  conclusion  of  Numbers. — Book  of  the  Wars  of  the  Lord. — 
Typical  and  prophetical  intimations  of  the  Messiah  in  Numbers. 
— Names,  and  meanings  of  the  names  of  the  principal  persons 
mentioned  in  Exodus  and  Numbers page  124. 


SUMMARY. 

I.    Wanderings  in  the  Wilderness. 

215.  Review  of  the  Chronology, — On  the  fourteenth 
day  of  the  first  month  of  the  year,  b.  c.  1491,  the  Israel- 
ites kept  the  Passover  and  marched  from  Egypt.  Ex.  xii. 


B.C.  1490.  NUMBERS   I.-XI.  121 

2,  3,  6,  18,  29-37.  On  the  first  day  of  the  third  month 
of  the  same  year  [b.  c.  1491]  they  encamped  at  Sinai. 
Ex.  xix.  1.  On  the  first  day  of  the  first  month  of  the  next 
year  [b.  c.  1490]  the  tabernacle  was  completed.  Ex.  xl.  2, 
17.  On  the  first  day  of  the  second  month  of  the  same 
year  [b.  c.  1490]  the  numbering  of  the  people  commenced. 
Num.  i.  1-4.  And  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the  second 
month  of  the  same  year  [b.  c.  1490]  the  Israelites  marched 
from  Sinai.  Num.  x.  11.  The  Israelites  were  therefore 
two  months  marching  from  Egypt  to  Sinai ;  and  the  whole 
encampment  at  Sinai  lasted  eleven  months  and  nineteen 
days,  during  which  the  laws,  tabernacle,  and  order  of 
divine  service  were  established,  and  the  people  numbered 
and  mustered  for  the  approaching  war. 

216.  Nunibering  of  the  People,  and  3Iarch  from 
Sinai  to  JParan  or  Zin,  H90. — Moses  now,  at  the 
command  of  Jehovah,  numbered  the  twelve  tribes  and 
marshalled  them  into  a  regular  camp,  each  tribe  by  itself 
under  its  own  captain  or  chief,  and  distinguished  by  its 
own  peculiar  standard ;  upon  which  the  cloud  left  the 
tabernacle  and  rested  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran.  Two 
silver  trumpets  were  also  made  according  to  God's  direc- 
tion— one  to  summon  the  princes,  and  the  two  to  call  to- 
gether the  camp  and  to  be  sounded  at  the  national  sacri- 
fices. After  this  the  whole  twelve  tribes  marched  forward 
through  the  desert  of  Zin  or  Paran  in  prescribed  order, 
Moses  taking  with  him  his  brother-in-law,  Hobab,  to  mark 
out  the  ground  for  the  several  encampments.  Num.  i. ; 
ii. ;  x. 

217.  3Iarch  to  Taberah ;  3Iurmiirings  at  Fa^ 
tigue. — Three  days'  journey  from  Sinai  the  people 
complained,  and  many  were  destroyed  by  fire  from  heav- 
en, which  was  only  quenched  by  the  prayers  of  Moses, 
who  called  the  place  "Taberah,"  "a  burning."  Num. 
xi.  1-3. 

218.  March  to  KibrotJi-JiattaavaJi ;  Murniuring 
for  Flesh  ;  Quails  and  Plague  sent, — After  the  Israel- 
ites had  left  Taberah  they  wearied  of  manna  and  mur- 
mured for  flesh.  A  wind  from  the  sea  then  brought  up 
abundance  of  quails,  which  the  people  rebelliously  brought 
to  the  camp ;  but  whilst  the  flesh  was  between  their  teeth 
a  plague  from  Jehovah  carried  ofl*  the  ringleaders,  and 

11 


122  NUMBERS  XL~XIII.  b.  c.  1490. 

Moses   called  the  place  " Kibroth-hattaavah "  ("the 
graves  of  lust").  Num.  xi.  4-15,  18-23,  31-35. 

219.  Council  of  LXX,  appointed, — Moses  now  found 
so  much  difficulty  in  governing  the  people  that,  at  God's 
command,  he  appointed  seventy  elders  to  share  the 
burden.  These  are  supposed  to  have  been  the  origin  of 
the  great  national  council  of  the  Jews,  called  afterward 
the  Sanhedrim.     (See  sect.  138.)     Num.  xi.  16, 17,  24^30. 

220.  Sedition  of  Aaron  and  3Iiriani  at  Hazeroth, 
— From  Kibroth-hattaavah  the  Israelites  journeyed  to 
Hazeroth,  where  Aaron  and  Miriam  murmured  at  Moses 
because  of  his  marriage  with  an  Ethiopian  or  Cushite 
woman,  w^ho  is  supposed  by  some  to  have  meant  Zipporah. 
The  anger  of  Jehovah  was  kindled ;  he  came  down  in  the 
pillar  of  cloud  and  called  Aaron  and  Miriam  to  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle,  and,  having  reproached  them  for  their 
rebellious  envy,  he  struck  Miriam  wdth  a  leprosy.  Aaron 
entreated  pardon  of  Moses,  who  then  besought  God  to 
heal  his  sister,  and  she  was  healed  after  seven  days.  Num. 
xii. 

221.  Encampment  at  Kadesh-barnea ;  Spies  sent 
to  Canaan* — The  Israelites  had  now  advanced  by  short 
marches  through  the  mountains  into  the  great  sand  desert 
of  Zin  or  Paran,  as  far  as  Kadesh-barnea.  Here  Moses 
sent  twelve  men  to  spy  out  Canaan,  who  returned  after 
forty  days'  absence  with  favorable  specimens  of  the  grapes, 
pomegranates,  figs,  and  other  fruits  of  the  Promised  Land, 
but  with  such  fearful  accounts  of  the  stature  and  strong 
positions  of  the  inhabitants  that  they  terrified  a  generation 
w^hose  spirit  had  been  broken  by  Egyptian  slavery.  Num. 
xiii. 

222.  Ten  Spies  destroyed;  Forty  Years'*  Wander- 
ings declared ;  Israelites  defeated, — Ten  spies  out  of 
the  twelve  had  thus  reported  unfavorably  of  the  enemy  ; 
and  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  the  other  two,  Caleb 
and  Joshua,  a  most  dangerous  insurrection  broke  out.  In 
vain  these  two  faithful  men  represented  that,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  Jehovah,  the  conquest  would  be  easy ;  the 
people  threatened  to  stone  them,  and  prepared  to  return 
to  Egypt.  Then  followed  the  awful  sentence  of  God — 
that  all  the  Hebrews  who  had  been  more  than  twenty 
years  old  on  the  exode  from  Egypt,  except  Joshua  and 


B.  c.  1490-1471.  NUMBERS   XIV.-XVI.  123 

Caleb,  should  die  in  the  desert  and  Canaan  be  conquered 
by  the  next  generation ;  and  the  ten  spies  who  had  incited 
them  to  rebel  were  carried  off  by  a  plague.  The  Israel- 
ites were  now  sensible  of  their  folly,  and  perversely  ad- 
vanced upon  the  Promised  Land ;  but  being  repulsed  by 
the  Canaanites  and  Amalekites  on  the  southern  border  of 
Palestine  with  great  slaughter,  they  turned  back,  and 
spent  nearly  thirty-eight  years  in  wandering  about  Mount 
Seir.  Num.  xiv. 

223.  History  of  TJiirty-eight  Years'  Wandering, 
1490-1453 ;  Mehellion  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and 
Abiranif  1471* — The  events  of  this  period  are  but 
briefly  recorded ;  some  more  laws  were  promulgated  (see 
"  Leviticus  ")j  and  in  b.  c.  1471  the  rebellion  of  Korah, 
Dathan,  and  Abiram  broke  out,  Korah  aspiring  to  the 
priesthood,  and  Dathan  and  Abiram  to  the  leadership  of 
the  people.  It  appears  that  Korah  was  a  Levite,  and 
one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  family  of  Kohath,  the  second  son 
of  Levi,  who  were  especially  employed  in  carrying  the 
ark  and  Holy  of  Holies,  and  therefore  the  most  nearly 
related  to  Aaron  and  next  to  his  family  in  the  sacred 
character  of  their  functions.  Num.  iii.  27-31.  Korah 
therefore  rebelled,  under  the  pretence  that  all  the  congre- 
gation were  as  holy  as  Aaron  and  his  family,  and  had  as 
much  right  to  the  priesthood.  On  the  other  hand,  Dathan 
and  Abiram  w^ere  descended  from  Reuben,  the  first-born 
of  Jacob,  and  therefore  considered  that  their  birth  entitled 
them  to  greater  pre-eminence  in  temporal  matters  than 
Moses,  who  was  the  great-grandson  of  Levi,  the  third  son 
of  Jacob.  Moses  now  desired  Korah  and  his  party  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  assemble  with  censers  and 
see  whom  the  Lord  chose  to  come  near  him,  and  then  he 
desired  the  w^hole  congregation  to  separate  themselves 
from  the  tents  and  families  of  the  three  conspirators  and 
their  followers.  At  the  command  of  Jehovah  the  earth 
then  opened  and  swallowed  up  the  families,  tents,  and 
goods  appertaining  to  the  rebels,  whilst  a  fire  consumed 
the  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  who  presumed  to  offer 
incense,  and  the  censers  of  the  latter  were  collected  and 
made  into  broad  plates  for  a  covering  for  the  altar.  Num. 
xvi.  1-40.  St.  Jude  compares  the  doctrines  of  false 
teachers  to  this  rebellion.  Jude  11. 


124  NUMBERS   XVI.-XX.  b.  c.  1471-1452. 

224.  Congregation  Murmur ;  14,700  slain  by  a 
Plague;  ^Blossoming  of  Aaron's  Rod,  1471* — The 

next  day  the  congregation  murmured  at  this  destruction 
of  the  rebels,  and  Jehovah  sent  a  plague  which  carried 
off  14,700  of  the  murmurers.  At  the  direction  of  God, 
the  prince  of  each  tribe  then  wrote  his  name  on  a  rod, 
Aaron  writing  his  name  on  the  rod  for  the  tribe  of  Levi. 
The  twelve  rods  were  then  laid  up  in  the  tabernacle  for 
one  night,  that  it  might  be  distinctly  seen  by  all  whom 
it  was  that  the  Lord  had  chosen  as  high  priest.  The 
next  morning  the  rod  of  Aaron  had  blossomed,  budded, 
and  yielded  almonds,  and  was  ever  afterward  preserved 
in  the  ark  as  a  testimony  against  the  rebels.  Num.  xvi. 
41-50;  xvii. 

225.  JRetu^*n  to  Kadesh ;  Water  from  MeribaJi ; 
3Ioses  and  Aaron  sin,  1453, — In  the  first  month  of 
this  year  the  Israelites  again  returned  to  Kadesh,  in  the 
wilderness  of  Zin,  where  Miriam  died  and  was  buried. 
The  congregation  murmured  for  water,  and  Moses,  hav- 
ing been  directed  by  God  to  speak  to  the  rock  at  Meribah, 
struck  it  twice  with  Aaron's  rod  and  brought  forth  abun- 
dance of  water.  Before  striking  the  rock  Moses  and  Aaron 
said  to  the  congregation,  "  Hear  now,  ye  rebels ;  must  we 
fetch  you  water  out  of  this  rock  ?"  For  this  speech,  in 
which  they  did  not  give  the  honor  of  the  miracle  to  God, 
and  for  striking  the  rock  instead  of  speaking  to  it,  Jehovah 
punished  them  by  refusing  them  the  privilege  of  leading 
the  Israelites  into  Canaan.  Num.  xx.  1-13. 

II.   Conquest  of  the  Country  east  of  the  Jordan. 

226.  Israelites  refused  a  Passage  through  Edom  ; 
Aaron  dies  at  Hor,  1452, — The  Israelites  had  been 
forbidden  to  molest  either  the  Moabites  or  Edomites; 
accordingly,  Moses  sent  messengers  from  Kadesh  to  en- 
treat the  Edomites  to  grant  the  Hebrews  a  free  passage 
through  their  country  to  Southern  Canaan.  The  descend- 
ants of  Esau  refused  this  request,  and  the  children  of  Is- 
rael were  accordingly  compelled  to  take  a  circuitous  route 
round  the  frontiers  of  Edom.  From  Kadesh  the  Hebrews 
marched  to  Mount  Hor,  in  Moab,  where  it  was  intimated 
by  Jehovah  that  Aaron  should  be  gathered  unto  his  peo- 


B.C.  1452.  NUMBERS   XX.,  XXI.  125 

pie  Accordingly,  Moses  and  Aaron  and  Aaron's  son, 
Eleazar,  ascended  the  mount,  and,  Moses  having  stripped 
the  sacerdotal  garments  from  Aaron  and  put  them  upon 
Eleazar,  the  old  high  priest  died  on  the  summit  ol  the 
mount,  and  all  Israel  mourned  for  him  thirty  days. 
Num.  XX.  14-21,  29. 

227.  Defeat  of  the  Canaanites  at  Hoiinah.—lhe 
Israelites  now  attacked  Arad,  king  of  a  Canaanite  na- 
tion on  the  southern  border  of  Palestine,  who  with  the 
Amalekites  had  defeated  them  after  the  return  ol 
the  twelve  spies  (sect.  222).  On  this  occasion  Israel 
utterly  destroyed  the  Canaanite  cities,  and  the  place 
was  caUed  Horj^iah   ("  utter  destruction)."  Num.  xxi. 

1-3- 

228.  MarcJi  frmn  Hor  to  the  Arnon;  Fiery  Ser- 
pents.—The  Israelites,  having  passed  along  the  ti'ontier 
of  Edom,  crossed  the  river  Zared,  and  proceeded  north- 
erly through  the  Moabite  territory  to  the  river  Arnon. 
On  their  way  they  again  murmured  at  their  fatigues  and 
deprivations,  and  a  plague  of  fiery  serpents  destroyed  sev- 
eral •  but  at  length  they  confessed  their  sm,  and  Moses, 
having  interceded  for  them,  was  ordered  to  set  up  a 
brazen  serpent,  which  healed  all  who  looked  upon  it. 
Num  xxi.  4-9.  These  fiery  serpents  might  have  re- 
minded the  Israelites  of  the  old  serpent  who  brought  sm 
into  the  world,  whilst  the  brazen  serpent  was  the  type  ot 
the  Messiah:  "And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  frpent  m  the 
wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be  lilted  up. 
John  iii.  14.  This  serpent  was  preserved  to  the  time  ot 
Hezekiah,  who  broke  it  in  pieces  because  the  Israehtes 
burnt  mcense  before  it.  2  Kings  xvm.  4. 

229.  Defeat  of  Sihon  and  Og,  1452.— V^on  reach- 
ino;  the  river  Arnon,  Moses  requested  a  free  passage  from 
Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites,  who  refused  and  marched 
against  the  Israelites,  but  was  utterly  defeated.  Og,  king 
of  Bashan,  the  last  of  the  giants,*  whose  iron  bedstead 
was  nine  cubits  [16  feet  4  inches]  long  and  four  cubits 
[7  feet  3  mches]  broad,  followed  the  example  of  bihon, 


*  One  of  the  old  race  of  Repbaim,  who  abode  here  in  the  time  of 
Abraham,  and  were  subjected  by  the  Assyrian  forces  under  Chedor- 


laomer 
11 


126  NUMBERS   XXI.-XXIV.  b.  c.  1452. 

and  was  also  completely  routed  at  Edrei.  By  these  two 
victories  the  whole  country  east  of  the  Jordan — from  the 
river  Arnon,  which  falls  into  the  Dead  Sea,  to  Mount 
Hermon,  at  the  foot  of  the  chain  of  Anti-Lebanon — 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Hebrews.   Num.  xxi.  10-35. 

230.  BalaU  fails  to  persuade  Balaam  to  curse  Is~ 
rael, — The  Moabites  and  Ammonites  saw  the  defeat  of 
their  old  enemies  the  Amorites  with  pleasure,  but,  being 
ignorant  that  the  Israelites  were  forbidden  to  attack  them- 
selves, they  regarded  their  new  and  powerful  neighbors 
with  suspicious  dread.  Balak,  king  of  Moab,  allied  with 
some  Midianites,  a  nomad  race  descended  from  Abraham 
and  Keturah,  who  were  then  pasturing  in  the  Amorite 
territory ;  and  the  elders  of  Midian  and  Moab  went  to 
Balaam,  the  son  of  Beor,  an  Edomite  prophet  living  at 
Pethor,  in  Mesopotamia,  on  the  Euphrates,  to  endeavor 
to  persuade  him  by  rewards  to  curse  the  Hebrews  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  But  "God  said  to  Balaam,  Thou 
shalt  not  go  with  them ;  thou  shalt  not  curse  the  people, 
for  they  are  blessed ;"  upon  which,  Balaam  dismissed  the 
messengers.  The  next  morning  more  honorable  princes 
were  sent  to  Balaam  with  more  pressing  entreaties  for 
his  presence ;  upon  which,  God  permitted  him  to  go,  but 
"  what  I  shall  say  unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou  do."  Ba- 
laam proceeded  before  the  appointed  time,  when  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  stood  in  the  way  and  stopped  his  ass, 
who  then  miraculously  spoke  and  rebuked  his  master; 
and  the  angel  said  to  Balaam,  "Only  the  word  that  I 
shall  speak  unto  thee,  that  thou  shalt  speak."  Upon 
arriving  before  Balak  and  offering  up  sacrifies,  Balaam, 
instead  of  cursing,  blessed  the  Israelites,  and  said,  "  There 
shall  come  a  Star  out  of  Jacob,  and  a  Sceptre  shall  rise 
out  of  Israel,  and  shall  smite  the  corners  of  Moab,  and 
destroy  all  the  children  of  Sheth."  Num.  xxii. ;  xxiii. ; 
xxiv. 

231.  Israelites  coinmit  Idolatry ;  Zimri  and  Cozbi 
slain  hy  Phinehas. — Subsequently,  by  the  counsel  of 
Balaam,  the  women  of  Moab  and  Midian  tempted  the 
Hebrews  to  fornication  and  the  worship  of  Baal-peor. 
God  ordered  Moses  to  punish  the  offenders  with  death ; 
a  plague  destroyed  24,000,  but  the  evil  seemed  to  in- 


B.C.  1451.  NUMBERS   XXV.,   XXVI.  127 

crease.  Zimri,  an  Israelite,  and  the  prince  of  a  chief 
house  among  the  Simeonites,  had  the  audacity  to  bring 
a  Midianitish  woman  of  noble  family,  named  Cozbi,  into 
the  camp  before  the  whole  congregation.  Phinehas,  the 
son  of  Eleazar  the  high  priest,  transfixed  the  guilty  pair 
with  a  javelin,  and  his  holy  zeal  pleased  Jehovah  and 
the  plague  ceased.  God  rewarded  Phinehas  by  promis- 
ing to  him  and  his  seed  "  the  covenant  of  an  everlasting 
prii  sthood ;"  which,  however,  must  not  be  understood  lit- 
erally, for  after  a  few  successions  the  priesthood  fell  for  a 
time  into  the  hands  of  Eli,  of  the  family  of  Ithamar,  the 
youngest  son  of  Aaron,  b.  c.  1181-1141.  But  in  Solo- 
mon's reign  it  again  reverted  to  the  family  of  Phinehas, 
in  which  it  continued  as  long  as  the  priesthood  lasted. 
Num.  XXV. 

232.  Midianites  defeated;  Balaam  slain, — The 
Lord  now  commanded  the  Israelites  to  avenge  them- 
selves on  the  Midianites.  Every  tribe  accordingly  sent 
in  a  thousand  men,  and  the  whole  12,000  marched 
against  the  enemy,  under  the  command  of  Phinehas, 
and  utterly  routed  them  with  great  slaughter,  but  in- 

\  censed  Moses  by  saving  the  women  alive,  and  he  imme- 

Jdiately  ordered  all  the  male  children  and  female  adults 

amongst  the  captives  to  be  slain.     Balaam,  the   son  of 

Beor,  was  amongst  the  dead  on  the  field  of  battle.*  Num. 

xxxi. 

233.  Second  3Iustering,  1451.— The  Jordan  alone 
now  separated  the  Hebrews  from  Canaan,  and  the  new 
generation  of  soldiers,  of  twenty  years  old  and  upward, 
were  mustered  and  reviewed  by  Moses  and  Eleazar  in  the 
plains  of  Moab  previous  to  the  conquering  of  the  country. 
The  punishment  declared  by  God  was  now  found  to  be 
completed ;  for  none  of  the  old  generation  that  were  re- 
viewed at  Sinai  were  found  amongst  the  present  muster- 
ing, save  Joshua  and  Caleb.  Num.  xxvi. 

*  The  conduct  of  this  unprincipled  prophet  is  alluded  to  by  St,  Jude, 
ver.  11,  who  accuses  false  teachers  of  *•' running  greedily  after  the  error 
of  Balaam /or  >-eioarrf"—?.e. corrupting  Christ's  doctrine  for  lucre's  sake. 
St.  Peter  in  his  Second  Epistle  (ii.  15)  says  the  same,  but  calls  Balaam 
"the  son  of  Bosor."  Bosor  may  be  the  Chaldaic  spelling  of  Beor,  or  a 
second  name,  or  it  may  be  for  Pethor,  by  changing,  as  is  common  in 
Syriac,  ;j  to  b  and  th  to  s;  hence  Besor,  Bosor, 


128  NUMBERS   XXVII.-XXXV.  b.  c.  1451. 

234.  Census  of  B.  C.  1491  and  that  of  B,  C,  1451 
compat^ed, — 

At  the  first  census  taken  of  the  various  tribes 
at  Sinai,  the  number  of  males  above  twenty 
years  of  age  was  found  to  be 625,850 

Whilst,  according  to  the  census  of  B.  c.  1451, 
after  about  forty  years'  wanderings  in  the  wil- 
derness and  the  first  generation  had  died,  the 
number  of  males  above  twenty  years  old  was     625,030 
Net  decrease  in  about  forty  years     .     .  820 

The  Levites  are  included  in  both  enumerations. 
The  whole  population  of  the  Israelites,  including  women 
and  children,  must  have  been  at  the  exode  from  Egypt 
about  2,000,000  a  wonderful  increase  from  the  seventy- 
five  persons  of  Jacob's  family  who  migrated  to  Egypt  in 
the  time  of  Joseph,  b.  c.  1706.     (See  sect  70.) 

235.  Beuben,  Gad,  and  half  Manasseh's  Territory 
east  of  the  Jordan, — Moses  was  informed  by  God  of  his 
approaching  death,  and  appointed  Joshua  as  his  successor. 
He  gave  to  Reuben,  Gad,  and  half  Manasseh  the  country 
east  of  the  Jordan,  but  ordered  them  to  assist  the  other 
tribes  previous  to  settling.  Num.  xxvii.  12-23  ;  xxxii. 

236.  Side  Cities  of  Befuge ;  Conclusion  of  Num- 
bers,— Moses  appointed  forty-eight  cities  to  the  Levites 
(see  sect.  164),  six  of  which  were  to  be  cities  of  refuge. 
These  were  easy  of  access  to  those  who  had  accidentally 
committed  murder,  all  cross-roads  having  a  finger-post 
bearing  the  word  "  Refuge  "  to  direct  the  fugitive.  There 
were  three  on  each  side  of  the  Jordan — ^viz.  East  :  Bezer, 
Golan,  Ramoth-gilead ;  AVest  :  Kedesh,  Hebron,  and 
Shechem.  Josh.  xx.  The  history  of  Numbers  concludes 
with  a  description  of  the  territory  to  be  subdued,  a  repe- 
tition of  the  injunctions  to  expel  the  inhabitants,  and  a 
list  of  the  forty-two  encampments  of  the  Israelites  in  the 
wilderness.  Num.  xxxiii. ;  xxxv. 

237.  Book  of  the  Wars  of  the  Lord, — In  Num.  xxi. 
14  an  allusion  is  made  to  this  book,  upon  which  there  are 
many  opinions.  Some  think  it  refers  to  either  of  the 
books  of  Numbers,  Joshua,  or  Judges ;  others,  to  an  au- 
thentic history  of  the  conquests  east  of  Jordan  by  the 
Amorites  themselves ;  whilst  Dr.  Lightfoot  thinks  it  was 


B.  c.  1451.  NUMBERS.  129 

a  book  written  by  Moses,  containing  directions  to  Joshua 
for  conquering  Palestine.  (See  Ex.  xvii.  14.) 


238.  Typical  and  Prophetical  Intimations  of  the 
3Iessiah  in  Ntunbei's. — There  are  two  types  of  the 
Messiah  in  this  book.  I.  The  water  that  issued  from 
THE  ROCK  :  "  For  they  drank  of  that  spiritual  Rock  that 
followed  them ;  and  that  Rock  was  Christ."  1  Cor.  x.  4. 
II.  The  brazen  serpent  :  "  And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the 
serpent  in  the  w^ilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  man 
be  lifted  up."  John  iii.  14.  There  is  but  one  predic- 
tion concerning  the  Messiah,  which  is  placed  in  the  mouth 
of  Balaam :  "  I  shall  see  him,  but  not  now :  I  shall  behold 
him,  but  not  nigh :  there  shall  come  a  Star  out  of  Jacob, 
and  a  Sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel,  and  shall  smite  the 
corners  of  Moab,  and  destroy  all  the  children  of  Shetli. 
.  .  .  Out  of  Jacob  shall  come  He  that  shall  have  do- 
minion." Num.  xxiv.  17,  19. 

Names,  and  Meanings  of  the  Names,  of  the  principal  Persons  men- 
tioned in  Exodus  and  Numbers. 

Moses  {saved  from  the  water). 

Pharaoh  {spreading  abroad  vengeance),  king  of  Egypt. 

Miriam  {exalted),  sister  of  Moses. 

Aaron,  (a  teacher,  a  hill),  high  priest  and  brother  of  Moses. 

THE  FOUR  SONS  OP  AARON. 

Nadab  {liberal  vowing).  Eleazar  {the  aid  of  God) 

Abihu  {he  is  father).  Ithamar  {ivoe  to  the  hand). 

Korah  {baldness),  |  ^^^  ^^^^^^  rebellious  leaders  in  the  wilder- 
Dathan  {laws),       V     ^^^^^ 
Abiram  {deceit),    j 

Joshua  (samour),  I  the  two  faithful  spies. 

Caleb  {a  dog,  croio,  basket),  J  ^ 

Balak  {who  lays  waste),  king  of  Moab. 
Balaam  {ancient  of  the  people)  an  Edomite  prophet. 


130  DEDTERONOMY.  b.  c.  1451. 


DEUTERONOMY. 

(Aevrepoc  vo^og,  "the  second  law" — a  repetition  of  the  law.) 

REPETITION  AND  CONFIRMATION  OF  THE  LAW.    B.  C.  1451-ABOUT  TWO  MONTHS. 


ANALYSIS. 

The  last  Ads  of  Moses. 

Repetition  and  confirmation  of  the  Law. — Death  of  Moses,  1451. 
— Review  of  the  life  and  character  of  Moses. — His  mission. — Proph- 
ecies in  Deuteronomy.  —  Authenticity  of  the  last  chapter  of 
Deuteronomy page  130. 

^  Canaan  prior  to  its  Conquest  by  the  Israelites. 

Canaan. — Boundaries  and  bordering  nations. — Description  of  the 
country. — Early  inhabitants — viz.  1st.  Canaanites  of  Arabia,  or 
Amalekites ;  2d.  Canaanites  of  Sidon  and  its  neighborhood,  or 
Phoenicians;  3d.  Canaanites  who  occupied  Palestine. — The  Philis- 
tines.— Palestine  the  highway  between  Egypt  and  the  Asiatic 
empires page  133. 


SUMMARY. 

The  last  Acts  of  Moses. 

239.  Repetition  and  Confinnation  of  the  Law : 
Death  of  3Ioses,  14:51, — Moses  now  felt  that  his  end 
was  approaching,  and  his  last  act  was  to  deliver  to  the 
magistrates  a  farewell  address,  which  composes  his  fifth 
book,  or  Deuteronomy.  In  this  he  earnestly  exhorted  the 
people  to  obedience  by  alluding  to  the  kindness,  severity, 
and  providence  of  God.  He  exhibited  the  sanctions  of 
the  law  and  repeated  the  most  important  statutes,  and,  as 
circumstances  had  changed,  he  made  several  additions 
and  alterations  to  the  code ;  and  the  laws  were  ordered  to 
be  subsequently  engraved  on  stone  pillars  and  solemnly 
erected  at  Shechem,  on  Mount  Ebal.  Deut.  xxvii. ;  Josh. 


B.  C.  1451.  DEUTERONOMY.  131 

viii.  32-35.  Moses  then  minutely  developed  the  condi- 
tions upon  which  Jehovah  would  govern  his  people,  and 
how  their  destinies  would  depend  upon  their  faithful  ad- 
herence to  the  God  of  their  fathers.  He  commissioned 
Joshua  to  be  the  military  leader  after  his  death,  and  de- 
livered the  book  of  the  law  to  the  priests,  to  be  kept  in 
the  ark  and  publicly  read  at  the  feast  of  tabernacles 
every  sabbatical  year ;  and  he  left  a  song  which  was  to 
be  "  taught  to  all  Israel,"  in  which  he  vividly  represented 
the  perverseness  of  the  Hebrews,  their  ftiture  disobedience 
and  punishment,  repentance,  and  pardon.  Finally,  the 
venerable  old  lawgiver,  "  when  his  eye  was  not  dim  nor 
his  natural  force  abated,"  ascended  the  height  of  Pisgah 
and  viewed  the  land  of  promise ;  and  then,  when  borne 
down  by  the  weight  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  years,  his 
bones  were  laid  in  a  mysterious  and  unknown  grave.  Deut. 
i. ;  xxxiv.  "  And  the  Lord  buried  him  in  a  valley  in  the 
land  of  Moab  over  against  Beth-peor :  but  no  man  know- 
eth  of  his  sepulchre  unto  this  day."  And  the  children 
of  Israel  mourned  for  him  thirty  days. 

240.  Meview  of  the  Life  and  Character  of  Moses, 
— The  life  of  the  great  legislator  and  deliverer  of  the 
Hebrews  is  divided  into  three  distinct  but  equal  periods 
of  forty  years  each :  first,  when  he  was  a  student  in  the 
Egyptian  court ;  second,  a  shepherd  in  Midian ;  and  third, 
the  leader  and  lawgiver  of  the  Israelites  during  their  no- 
mad state.  He  was  born  b.  c.  1571,  of  Amram  and  Jo- 
chebed,  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  and  when  an  infant  was 
exposed  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  but  rescued  by  the 
daughter  of  Pharaoh ;  and  during  the  first  period  of  forty 
years  he  became  "  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  Egypt, 
and  was  mighty  in  words  and  deeds."  Acts  vii.  22.  In 
B.  c.  1531,  being  forty  years  old,  he  slew  an  Egyptian 
and  fled  to  Midian,  where  he  led  a  shepherd's  life  for 
another  forty  years,  and  married  Zipporah,  daughter  of 
Jethro,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  Gershom  and  Eliezer. 
In  B.  c.  1491,  being  eighty  years  old,  he  was  called  by 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  from  a  burning  bush  to  deliver  the 
chosen  people  of  God.  The  aged  shepherd  now  stood 
before  Pharaoh,  and,  inspired  and  assisted  by  Jehovah, 
he  achieved  the  deliverance  of  his  brethren  from  their 
tyrannical  oppressors,  and  led  them  through  the  waves  of 


132  DEUTEKONOMY.  b.  c.  1451. 

the  sea  and  the  dangers  of  the  wilderness  to  the  land 
promised  by  the  God  of  their  fathers.  The  history  of 
this  period,  his  abode  in  the  mount  and  breaking  of  the 
first  tables  of  stone,  the  erection  of  the  tabernacle  and 
consecration  of  the  priests  and  Levites,  are  too  fully  de- 
tailed in  the  preceding  pages  to  require  repetition. 

Sis  Mission. — The  part  assigned  to  Moses  was  that 
of  a  deliverer,  a  leader,  a  legislator,  and  a  prophet.  As 
a  deliverer,  he  was  commissioned  to  emancipate  a  people 
oppressed  by  centuries  of  Egyptian  slavery,  and  thus  to 
typify  that  glorious  Messiah  who  should  deliver  the  world 
from  the  darkness  of  sin  and  the  bondage  of  Satan.  As 
a  leader,  he  was  appointed  to  guide  the  Hebrews  through 
the  wilderness  into  the  land  of  promise,  and  thus  to  rep- 
resent those  faithflil  ministers  of  God  who  in  the  latter 
times  have  preserved  the  Church  against  the  dangers  of 
the  world  and  temptations  of  the  devil.  And,  lastly,  it 
was  destined  for  him,  as  a  legislator  and  a  prophet,  to 
promulgate  to  the  seed  of  Abraham  a  mysterious  and 
prophetic  code  of  laws  and  ordinances  which  should  puri- 
fy their  hearts  from  sin  and  idolatry,  elevate  their  intellec- 
tual character,  and  prefigure  that  Avondrous  gospel  scheme 
which  could  alone  save  man  from  paying  the  just  penalty 
of  his  disobedience  and  fall. 

241.  IPropliecies  in  Deuteronomy, — The  following 
remarkable  prophecy  relative  to  the  Messiah  was  fulfilled 
1500  years  after  it  had  been  delivered.  The  Lord  said, 
"  I  will  raise  them  up  a  prophet  from  among  their  breth- 
ren, like  unto  thee,  and  will  put  my  words  in  his  mouth ; 
and  he  shall  speak  unto  them  all  that  I  shall  command 
him."  Deut.  xviii.  15-19.  This  is  expressly  applied  to 
Jesus  Christ  in  Acts  iii.  22,  23,  and  vii.  37.  Moses  also 
plainly  predicted  the  corruptions  of  the  Hebrews,  their 
subsequent  calamities  under  their  judges  and  kings,  and 
the  horrors  of  the  Assyrian,  Babylonian,  and  Eoman  do- 
minion. 

242.  Aiithentieity  of  the  last  Chapter  of  Deuter- 
onomy,— There  are  several  passages  in  the  Pentateuch, 
particularly  some  posthumous  allusions,  which  many  sup- 
pose to  have  been  inserted  by  a  more  modern  hand  than 
Moses.  Ezra  is  also  thought  to  have  added  certain  ex- 
planatory matter.      The  last   chapter  of  Deuteronomy. 


B.  c.  1451.  DEUTERONOMY.  133 

describing  the  death  of  Moses,  must  have  been  written 
by  Joshua  or  Samuel,  or  some  other  later  prophet,  but 
Ezra  admits  it  as  authentic. 

§  Canaan  prior  to  its  Conquest  hy  the  Israelites. 

243.  Canaan, — Before  entering  upon  the  conquest  of 
Canaan,  it  will  be  necessary  to  describe  the  country  and 
bring  together  the  scattered  notices  of  its  early  history. 

244.  Boundaries. — The  natural  boundaries*  of  Pal- 
estine Proper,  or  Canaan,  as  subsequently  occupied  by 
the  twelve  tribes,  were  as  follows :  North,  the  highlands 
of  Syria,  terminating  in  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon,  occu- 
pied by  the  Syrians,  who  were  divided  into  numerous  small 
states  or  cantons,  and  the  Phoenicians.  East,  the  desert 
of  Syria,  inhabited  by  the  Ammonites,  Moabites,  Amorites,'\ 
and  Midianites.  South,  Arabia  Petrsea,  peopled  by  the 
Edomites  and  Amalekites,  who  seem  to  have  divided  Pales- 
tine from  Egypt.     AVest,  the  Mediterranean  Sea.J 

245.  JDescri^ytion  of  the  Country. — The  extreme 
length  of  Palestine  is  about  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles;  its  width  in  the  north  scarcely  exceeds  twenty 
miles,  whilst  on  the  south  it  has  been  variously  estimated 
at  from  forty-five  to  sixty  miles.  Two  sets  of  highlands 
range  north  and  south,  between  which  is  the  valley  of 
the  river  Jordan,  a  very  remarkable  depression.  The 
principal  mountains  in  the  western  highlands  are  Carmel, 
Tabor,  Gilboa,  and  Ebal  or  Gerizim ;  those  on  the  east 
of  Jordan  are  Hermon  and  Gilead.§  The  river  Jordan 
seems  like  the  natural  centre  of  the  country.  It  flows 
from  the  low  grounds  of  Mount  Hermon — the  lofty  peak 
which   terminates  Anti-Lebanon  on  the  south — reaches 

*■  The  political  boundaries  of  the  Jewish  territory  varied  consider- 
ably at  different  periods.  The  kingdoms  of  David  and  Solomon  ex- 
tended from  the  Euphrates  to  the  Mediterranean,  and  from  Phoenicia 
to  the  Red  Sea;  but  the  divided  monarchies  of  Judah  and  Israel  were 
unable  to  maintain  the  rule  over  this  enlarged  dominion. 

"f-  Prior  to  the  Hebrew  conquest,  the  Amorites  had  extended  into  the 
interior  of  Canaan  westward  toward  the  Mediterranean. 

X  For  a  description  of  these  bordering  nations,  see  the  '•'  Introductory 
Outline  of  the  History  and  Geography  of  the  Countries  noticed  in  the 
Old  Testament." 

^  Mount  Nebo,  from  which  Moses  viewed  the  land  of  promise,  has 
not  yet  been  satisfactorily  identified. 

12 


134  DEUTERONOMY.  b.  c.  1451. 

first  the  waters  of  Merom  and  then  the  Sea  of  Chinne- 
roth,  called  also  the  Sea  of  Gennesareth,  from  whence  it 
precipitates  itself  down  a  succession  of  rapids  into  the 
Dead  Sea,  the  waters  of  which  are  calculated  to  be  more 
than  1300  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean. 
From  both  sides  of  the  western  highlands  several  streams 
run  into  the  Mediterranean  and  into  the  Jordan,  but  are 
nowhere  navigable  or  of  any  magnitude.  The  most  im- 
portant of  these  is  the  river  Kishon,  which  falls  into  the 
sea  north  of  Carmel.  On  its  eastern  side  the  Jordan 
receives  the  river  Yarmuk  just  below  the  Sea  of  Gen- 
nesareth, and  the  river  Jabbok  north  of  Mount  Gilead ; 
whilst  still  farther  southward  the  river  Arnon  falls  into 
the  Dead  Sea. 

246.  Early  Inhabitants, — The  descendants  of  Ca- 
naan, youngest  son  of  Ham,  appear  to  have  originally 
settled  in  Arabia,  but  a  branch  of  them  seems  to  have 
migrated  to  Canaan  some  time  before  the  arrival  of  Abra- 
ham. The  Canaanites  were  thus  divided  into  three  dis- 
tinct classes — viz. 

247.  1st.  Canaanites  of  Arabia — Amalekites, — 
These  comprehended  those  Canaanites  who  remained  in 
Arabia  and  formed  a  numerous  people,  and  of  whom  in 
the  seventh  century  there  were  distinguished  families  still 
in  existence.  They  are  called  Amalekites  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, but  could  not  be  descendants  of  Amalek,  grandson 
of  Esau,  as  they  are  mentioned  as  having  long  before  his 
time  inhabited  the  southern  boundaries  of  Canaan,  and 
Balaam  calls  them  one  of  the  most  ancient  nations  and 
their  king  the  most  powerful  monarch  that  he  knew. 
Num.  xxiv.  20.  They  subsequently  led  a  nomad  life  on 
the  southern  borders  of  Palestine. 

248.  2d.  Canaanites  ofSidon — Phoenicians. — These 
Canaanites  took  possession  of  the  northern  coasts  of  Ca- 
naan, together  with  a  strip  of  land  between  Lebanon  and 
the  Mediterranean.  They  subsequently  became  the  great 
merchants  and  navigators  of  the  ancient  world,  and  ap- 
pear to  have  continued  on  terms  of  friendship  with  the 
Israelites.* 


®  Herodotus  also  says  that  the  Phoenicians  originally  migrated  from 
the  coasts  of  the  Erythraean  or  Red  Sea.  (i.  1.) 


B.  c.  1451.  DEUTERONOMY.  135 

249.  3d.   Canaanites  tvJio   occupied  Palestine, — 

These  seem  to  have  been  divided  into  several  races,  and 
to  have  established  at  least  thirty-one  small  kingdoms, 
which  were,  however,  united  in  more  than  one  confed- 
eracy by  conquest  or  alliance.  Between  the  period  of 
Abraham  and  that  of  Moses  they  appear  to  have  greatly 
degenerated,  for  we  read  of  no  successor  to  Melchizedek 
as  priest  of  the  most  high  God.     (See  sects.  25,  261.) 

250.  Philistines, — These  were  not  Canaanites,  but 
originally  Egyptians  from  the  Pelusiac  branch  of  the 
Nile.  They  migrated  from  Caphtor  [Cyprus],  and  ex- 
pelled the  Avim,  or  Hivites,  from  the  low  country  in 
Southern  Palestine,  and  there  established  five  govern- 
ments, or  lordships,  in  five  cities. 

251.  Palestine  the  Highivay  between  Egypt  and 
the  Asiatic  Empires, — A  remarkable  peculiarity  of 
Palestine  consisted  in  its  being  the  highway  for  armies 
between  Egypt  and  all  the  great  countries  of  Western 
Asia.  In  the  time  of  Jacob  w^e  find  his  sons  selling 
Joseph  to  a  caravan  of  Ishmaelite  merchants  who  were 
passing  through  the  country  on  their  way  to  Egypt,  and 
in  the  time  of  Josiah  the  army  of  Pharaoh-Necho  was 
obliged  to  march  through  Palestine  on  the  way  to  the 
Euphrates. 


136  JOSHUA  I.  B.C.  1451. 

THE    TWELVE 

HISTORICAL  BOOKS. 

[THESE  CONSIST  OF  JOSHUA,  JUDGES,  EUTH,  1  AND  2  SAMUEL,  1 
AND  2  KINGS,  1  AND  2  CHRONICLES,  EZRA.  NEHEMIAH,  AND 
ESTHER.— See  Intkoduction.] 


JOSHUA. 

{The  Acts  of  Joshua,  supposed  to  be  partly  written  by  Joshua.) 

HISTORY  OP  THE   CONQUEST  OP  CANAAN  AND  SETTLEMENT  IN  THE   COUNTRY 
UNDER  JOSHUA.    B.  C.  1451  TO   1426.— ABOUT  25  YEARS. 


ANALYSIS. 

I.  Conquest  of  Oanaan. 
Previous  life  of  Joshua,  1536-1451. — Sends  spies  to  Jericho, 
1451. — Crosses  the  Jordan. — Circumcision  re-established. — Manna 
ceases. — Jericho  taken. — Ai  taken ;  Achan's  sin. — Gibeonites  craft- 
ily persuade  Joshua  to  an  alliance. — Defeat  of  Adonizedek  and  his 
four  allied  kings ;  sun  and  moon  stand  still. — Defeat  of  the  north- 
ern kings;  Anakims  destroyed. — Seven  years'  war;  thirty-one 
kings  subdued page  136 

II.  Settlement  in  Canaan. 
Tabernacle  set  up  in  Shiloh,  1444. — Division  of  the  country 
amongst  the  twelve  tribes. — Districts  given  to  Caleb  and  Joshua. 
— Tribes  east  of  the  Jordan  sent  home ;  misunderstanding  with 
their  brethren. — Death  of  Joshua,  1426 ;  burial  of  Joseph's  bones ; 
death  of  Eleazar. — Election  of  princes  or  elders. — Account  of  the 
"  Book  of  Jasher." page  141 


SUMMARY. 
I.   Conquest  of  Canaan. 
252.  Previous    lAfe    of   Joshua,    1536-1451, — 

Joshua,*  the  son  of  Nun,  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  was 

*  Joshua's  first  name  was  Rosea,  or  Oshea,  but  Moses  changed  it  to 
Jehoshua,  or  Joshua.   Num.  xiii.  16.     Hosea  signifies  "  a  savior,"  or 


B.  c.  1451.  JOSHUA   T.-III.  137 

born  about  b.  c.  1536;  lie  is  commonly  called  the  ser- 
vant of  Moses.  His  first  exploit  was  defeating  the  Amal- 
ekites  (sect.  105) ;  he  is  soon  afterward  mentioned  as  hav- 
ing accompanied  Moses  up  Mount  Sinai  (sect.  109) ;  and 
he  also  seems  to  have  had  the  care  of  the  tabernacle,  and 
to  have  dwelt  in  or  near  it.  Ex.  xxxiii.  11.  He  was  sub- 
sequently sent  with  Caleb  and  ten  others  to  spy  out  Ca- 
naan, and  for  their  pious  expression  of  confidence  in 
Jehovah  he  and  Caleb  only  of  that  generation  were 
permitted  to  enter  the  Promised  Land.  After  the  death 
of  Moses  he  took  command  of  the  Israelites,  having  been 
previously  installed  into  it  by  the  dying  legislator  at  the 
command  of  Jehovah.  Josh.  i. 

25S.  Sends  Spies  to  Jericho,  14=51. — Joshua  now 
made  immediate  preparations  for  the  conquest  of  Ca- 
naan. He  led  the  Israelites  to  Shittim,  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  Jordan,  from  whence  he  sent  two  spies  to 
Jericho  to  view  the  land.  The  king  of  Jericho  heard 
of  their  coming,  but  Eahab,  the  harlot,  hid  them  in  her 
house  under  some  flax-stalks,  and  at  night  let  them  down 
from  her  window  by  a  rope,  for  her  house  was  upon  the 
town-wall.  In  return  for  this  favor,  the  spies  promised 
that  if  she  would  hang  a  scarlet  line  from  her  window 
when  they  took  the  city  she  and  her  household  should 
be  preserved.  Josh.  ii. 

254.  Crosses  the  Jordan, — On  the  return  of  the  spies, 
Joshua  and  all  the  Israelites  approached  the  Jordan, 
whilst  the  ark  was  borne  by  the  priests  2000  cubits 
[1216  yards]  in  advance ;  and  when  the  feet  of  the  ark- 
bearers  touched  the  water  the  Jordan  rose  up  on  a  heap, 
so  that  the  Israelites  passed  over  on  dry  ground,  and  en- 
camped at  Gilgal,  opposite  Jericho.  The  priests  re- 
mained with  the  ark  in  the  centre  of  the  river  until  all 
the  people  had  passed  over;  after  which  twelve  men, 
one  from  every  tribe,  took  each  a  stone  from  the  place 
where  the  priests  stood,  and  the  twelve  stones  were  after- 
ward pitched  at  Gilgal  as  a  memorial  of  the  miracle. 
The  priests  then  passed  over,  and  the  waters  immedi- 
ately flowed   on  as   before.     This   occurred  within   five 

"  he  will  save,"  but  Jehoshua  signifies  "  the  salvation  of  God,"  or  "  God 
■will  save."     He  is  also  called  Jesus  in  St.  Luke  and  Ecclesiasticus, 
which  has  a  similar  meaning  to  "Jehoshua." 
12* 


138  JOSHUA  IV.-VI.  B.C.  1451. 

days  of  the  forty  years  which  had  expired  since  they 
came  out  from  Egypt.  Josh.  iii. ;  iv. 

255.  Circuincision  re-established;  3Ianna  ceases. 

— At  Gilgal,  Joshua  was  ordered  to  circumcise  all  the 
Israelites,  which  rite  had  been  neglected  during  the 
whole  forty  years'  wanderings.  The  passover  was  now 
kept,  and,  the  forty  years  being  completed,  the  manna 
ceased  to  fall.  It  was  about  this  time  that  an  angel  ap- 
peared to  Joshua  with  a  drawn  sword  in  his  hand,  an- 
nounced himself  as  the  captain  of  the  host  of  the  Lord, 
and  said  to  him  the  same  words  that  Moses  had  heard 
from  the  burning  bush  at  Horeb :  "  Loose  thy  shoe  from 
off  thy  foot,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy." 
And  Joshua  fell  on  his  face  and  worshipped.  Josh.  v. 

256.  Jericho  taJceUf  1451. — Joshua  now  proceeded 
to  besiege  Jericho,  which  lay  about  six  miles  from  the 
Jordan,  and  about  twenty  miles  north-east  from  Jerusa- 
lem. Having  encompassed  the  city,  it  was  at  length 
taken  by  a  miracle.  At  God's  command,  the  whole  of 
the  people  marched  in  solemn  silence  round  the  walls 
once  a  day  for  six  days,  accompanied  by  the  ark  and 
seven  priests  sounding  seven  trumpets  of  rams'  horns. 
On  the  seventh  day  they  marched  round  seven  times  in 
the  same  manner,  but  the  seventh  time  the  whole  of 
the  people  suddenly  shouted  at  the  command  of  Joshua, 
when  the  walls  fell  flat  down  before  the  tremendous  ac- 
clamations, and  the  multitude  marched  immediately  into 
the  city.  Jericho  was  then  taken  and  utterly  destroyed, 
and  all  its  inhabitants,  except  Kahab  and  her  family 
(sect.  253),  were  put  to  the  sword.  Deut.  vii.  2.  The 
city  itself  was  burnt  with  fire,  and  Joshua  adjured  the 

\  people,  saying,  "  Cursed  be  the  man  before  the  Lord  that 
riseth  up  and  buildeth  this  city  Jericho :  he  shall  lay  the 
foundation  thereof  in  his  first-born,  and  in  his  youngest 
son  shall  he  set  up  the  gates  of  it."  Josh.  vi.  This  proph- 
ecy was  fulfilled  in  the  reign  of  Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  about 
B.  C.  925.  Hiel  the  Bethelite  rebuilt  Jericho,  and  his 
first-born,  Abiram,  died  whilst  he  was  laying  the  foun- 
dation, and  Segub,  the  youngest,  died  whilst  his  father 
was  setting  up  the  gates.  1  Kings  xvi.  34. 

257.  Ai  taken;  Achan's  Sin, — Joshua  now  despatched 
spies  to  Ai,  which  lay  about  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  Jer- 


B.  c.  1451.  JOSHUA  VII.-IX.  139 

icho,  and,  finding  that  the  city  was  small,  he  sent  only 
3000  men  against  it,  and  these  were  defeated  and  thirty- 
six  of  them  slain.  Joshua  prayed  to  God,  and  by  casting 
lots  he  discovered  that  Achan,  an  Israelite  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  had  sinned  against  Jehovah ;  and  Achan  then  con- 
fessed that  he  had  hidden  in  his  tent  a  Babylonian  gar- 
ment, with  two  hundred  silver  shekels  [91  oz.  =  £22  15s. 
4c?.]  and  a  wedge  of  gold  weighing  fifty  shekels  [22J  oz. 
=  £91  Is.  5c?.],  which  he  had  taken  from  the  spoils  of 
Jericho.  He  and  his  family  were  stoned  to  death,  and 
afterward  burned  in  the  valley  of  Achor — i.  e.  "  trouble.' 
Joshua  afterward  prepared  to  take  Ai.  He  posted  5000 
men  in  ambush  west  of  the  city,  between  Ai  and  Bethel, 
and  then  advanced  with  a  larger  force  against  the  northern 
side.  The  king  and  citizens  sallied  out  against  Joshua, 
who,  counterfeiting  a  flight,  drew  the  enemy  farther  from 
the  city,  when  the  5000  men  in  ambush  entered  Ai  and 
fired  it.  Joshua  then  turned  back  upon  the  men  of  Ai 
and  utterly  defeated  them ;  12,000  were  slain,  the  king 
was  hung,  and  the  city  burnt  and  made  a  heap  of  desola- 
tion, but  the  cattle  and  spoils  the  Israelites  were  permit- 
ted to  divide  amongst  themselves.  Josh.  vii. ;  viii. 

258.  Gibeonites  craftily  persuade  Joshua  to  an 
Alliance. — The  Gibeonites,  whose  city  lay  only  about 
eight  miles  south-west  of  Ai,  were  now  alarmed  at  the 
reports  of  Joshua's  successes.  Accordingly,  knowing  that 
the  Israelites  would  not  ally  with  the  inhabitants  of  Ca- 
naan, they  sent  ambassadors  disguised  as  men  who  had 
travelled  from  a  far  country.  These  envoys  assured 
Joshua  that  they  came  from  a  distant  people,  who,  hav- 
ing heard  what  wonders  God  had  wrought  for  the  He- 
brews, desired  the  friendship  and  alliance  of  so  favored  a 
nation ;  and  for  the  truth  of  this  statement  they  appealed 
to  their  dry  and  mouldy  bread,  to  the  rent  skins  which 
contained  their  wine,  and  to  their  worn-out  clothes  and 
sandals,  all  of  which  they  vowed  to  have  been  new  when 
I  they  commenced  their  journey.  Accordingly,  Joshua 
I  and  the  princes  of  the  congregation — i.  e.  the  national 
assembly  (see  sect.  134) — leagued  with  the  Gibeonites 
"  to  let  them  live,"  without  asking  counsel  "  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Lord."  Three  days  afterward  the  Israelites  came 
to  their  four  cities,  Gibeon,  Chephirah,  Beeroth,  and  Kir- 


140  JOSHUA  X.  B.C.  1451. 

jath-jearim,  and  discovered  the  falsehood.  The  Israelites 
now  murmured,  but  their  princes  would  not  break  their 
word,  and  Joshua  reduced  the  Gibeonites  to  bondage  and 
made  them  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  to  the 
tabernacle.     (See  "  Nethinim,"  sect.  165.)  Josh.  ix. 

259.  Defeat  of  AdonizedeJc  and  his  four  allied 
Kings ;  Sun  stands  still. — The  princes  of  the  numer- 
ous small  states  of  different  races  who  occupied  Southern 
Palestine  now  saw  the  necessity  for  energetic  measures. 
Adonizedek,  king  of  Jerusalem,  having  heard  of  Joshua's 
•  victories  and  league  with  the  Gibeonites,  sought  to  dissolve 
this  powerfiil  alliance,  and  accordingly  sent  to  four  auxil- 
iary or  vassal  kings — viz.  Hoham,  king  of  Hebron,  Piram, 
king  of  Jarmuth,  Japhia,  king  of  Lachish,  and  Debir, 
king  of  Eglon,  to  assist  him  in  attacking  Gibeon.  The 
Gibeonites  sent  to  Joshua,  who  immediately  marched  with 
his  victorious  Hebrews  to  their  assistance.  The  army  of 
the  five  kings  was  routed  with  a  great  slaughter ;  a  hail- 
storm from  heaven  cut  off  more  of  the  enemy  than  fell 
by  the  sword,  and  the  day  was  prolonged — or,  in  the 
words  of  the  inspired  historian,  "  the  sun  and  moon  mi- 
raculously stood  still " — for  twelve  or  fourteen  hours,  to 
enable  the  Israelites  to  prolong  the  pursuit.  The  five 
kings  fled  to  the  cave  at  Makkedah,  where  they  were 
taken  prisoners  and  slain  and  hung  upon  five  trees,  and 
their  cities  and  territories  were  soon  afterward  taken  and 
desolated.  This  brilliant  victory  was  followed  by  the  re- 
duction of  Libnah,  Lachish,  Eglon,  Debir,  and  Hebron 
in  rapid  succession,  together  with  the  Anakims  in  the 
neighborhood ;  and  thus  was  completed  the  conquest  of 
nearly  all  Southern  Palestine.  Josh,  x.* 
I  260.  Defeat  of  the  Northern  Kings, — The  northern 
,^  kings  were  now  aroused  by  the  successes  of  these  terrible 
and  mysterious  invaders.  Jabin,  king  of  Hazor,  organ- 
ized a  powerful  league  amongst  the  surrounding  princes, 
and  assembled  an  immense  host,  provided  with  chariots 
and  cavalry,  by  the  Waters  of  Merom,  north  of  the  Sea 
of  Chinneroth  or  Galilee.  But  Joshua  penetrated  to 
Upper  Galilee  by  rapid  marches,  and,  falling  upon  the 

*  The  writer  of  the  book  of  Joshua  quotes  the   Book  of  Jasher  in 
confirmation  of  the  miracle  of  the  sun's  standing  still.     (See  sect.  269.) 


B.  c.  1451-1445.  JOSHUA   XL,   XII.  141 

combined  forces  by  surprise,  he  routed  them  with  immense 
slaughter  and  burnt  their  chariots  and  hamstrung  their 
horses.  The  reduction  of  their  cities  quickly  followed, 
and  thus  the  Israelites  became  the  predominant  power  in 
Northern  and  Southern  Palestine.  Josh.  xi. 

261.  Seven  Years'  War;  Tliirty-mie  Kings  siih- 
duedf    14:51-14:45,  —  For    seven    years   Joshua    pro- 

(  ceeded  with  his  conquests,  during  which  he  subdued 
thirty-one  kings  belonging  to  seven  nations — viz.  Am- 
orites,  Canaanites,  Girgashites,  Hittites,  Hivites,  Jebusites, 
and  Perizzites.     A  list  of  the  thirty-one  kings  may  be 

'  found  in  Josh.  xii.  9-24.  A  desultory  war  had  yet  to  be 
carried  on  with  some  scattered  cities  and  tracts  still  occu- 
pied by  the  Canaanites,  Jebusites,  Philistines,  Sidonians, 
Geshurites,  Maachathites,  and  others,  but  the  country  was 
soon  divided  by  lot  amongst  the  several  tribes,  and  each 
was  left  to  expel  its  own  enemies.  Josh.  xii. 

II.  Settlement  in   Canaan. 

262.  Tabernacle  set  tij)  in  Shilohf  1444, — The  tab- 
ernacle was  now  removed  from  Gilgal,  and  the  whole  con- 
gregation of  Israel  assembled  at  Shiloh,  a  city  of  Ephraim, 
to  which  tribe  Joshua  belonged,  and  fixed  it  there  as  a 
sign  of  rest.  Josh,  xviii.  1.  The  tabernacle  remained  at 
Shiloh  for  three  hundred  and  fifty  years,  when  it  was 
taken  by  the  Philistines  in  the  time  of  Eli.  1  Sam.  iv.  10, 
11.  God  had  previously  commanded  this  setting  up  of 
the  tabernacle :  "  When  ye  go  over  Jordan,  and  dwell  in 
the  land,  .  .  .  then  there  shall  be  a  place  which  the 
Lord  your  God  shall  choose  to  cause  his  name  to  dwell 
there ;  thither  shall  ye  bring  all  that  I  command  you ; 
your  burnt-offerings,  and  your  sacrifices,  your  tithes,  and 
the  heave-offering  of  your  hand,  and  all  your  choice  vows 
which  ye  vow  unto  the  Lord."  Deut.  xii.  10,  11.  Jere- 
miah afterward  in  prophesying  against  Judah,  after  Israel 
had  been  desolated  by  the  Assyrians,  says,  "  Then  will  I 
make  this  house  [the  temple]  like  Shiloh,  and  will  make 
this  city  [Jerusalem]  a  curse  to  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth."  Jer.  vii.  14 ;  xxvi.  6. 

263.  I>ivision  of  the  Country  amongst  the  Twelve 
Tribes, — Joshua  now  divided  the  newly-conquered  terri- 


142  JOSHUA  XII.-XXI.  B.  c.  1444. 

tory,  hy  lot,  into  twelve  parts ;  for,  though  the  descendants 
of  Joseph  were  divided  into  the  two  tribes  of  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh,  yet  no  territory  was  assigned  to  Levi ;  the 
tithes  alone  were  their  inheritance,  and  forty-eight  cities 
taken  by  lot  from  the  districts  of  their  brethren  were  ap- 
pointed for  their  abode.  The  twelve  tribes  occupied  the 
following  portions  of  territory — ^viz. : 

East  oj  the  Jordan. 

1.  Reuben,  the  southernmost  portion,  being  bounded 
on  the  south  by  Moab  and  the  river  Arnon,  on  the  east 
by  the  Ammonites,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Jordan  and 

Salt  Sea. 

o    /-. .  i.x.    If  -D     x.  1  These  two  tribes  were  sit- 

2.  Gad,  north  of  Keuben       I         ^  ^  ^    j 

3.  Manasseh  (Aa;/), north    ^^^^  ^^^  ^^^  Ammonite 

^       ^  *  J  and  Syrian  territories. 

West  of  the  Jordan. 

4.  JuDAH,  the  southernmost  portion,  being  bounded  on 
the  east  by  the  Salt  Sea,  on  the  south  by  Edom  and  the 
desert  of  Shur,  on  the  west  by  Simeon  and  Dan,  and  on 
the  north  by  Benjamin. 

5.  Simeon,  south-west  of  Palestine,  and  between  Judali 
and  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 

6.  Dan,  north  of  Simeon,  and  also  between  Judah  and 
the  Mediterranean. 

7.  Benjamin,  an  inland  territory,  north  of  Judah. 

8.  Ephraim,  north  of  Benjamin. 

*    Manasseh  (half)  north  of  Ephraim. 

9.  IssACHAR,  north  of  Manasseh. 

10.  Zebulun,  north  of  Issachar. 

11.  Naphtali,  north  of  Zebulun,  between  Asher  and 
the  Jordan.  * 

12.  Asher,  north  of  Zebulun,  between  Naphtali  and 
the  Mediterranean.  Josh.  xii. ;  xiii. ;  xv.-xix. ;  xxi. 

264.  Districts  given  to  Caleb  and  Joshua, — Caleb, 
ythe  son  of  Jephunneh,  who,  with  Joshua,  had  been  pre- 

*  For  the  other  half  of  Manasseh  see  "  Tribes  East  of  the  Jordan.'* 


B.  c.  1426.  JOSHUA   XXII.-XXIV.  143 

served  for  his  pious  conduct  after  spying  out  Canaan,  was 
now  presented  with  Mount  Hebron,  as  Moses  had  sworn 
to  him  that  the  land  on  which  his  feet  trod  when  he  spied 
out  Canaan  should  be  the  inheritance  of  himself  and  his 
children  for  ever.  Caleb  then  drove  out  the  three  sons  of 
Anak — Sheshai,  Talmai,  and  Ahiman — from  Hebron,  and 
gave  his  own  daughter  Achsah  to  be  wife  of  his  nephew 
Othniel,  because  the  latter  took  the  city  of  Debir  or  Kir- 
jath-sepher.  The  Israelites  also  gave  Timnath-serah  in 
Mount  Ephraim  to  Joshua  for  an  inheritance.  Josh.  xiv. 
6-15  ;  XV.  13-19  ;  xix.  49-51. 

265.  Tribes  east  of  the  Jordan  sent  Home ;  mis- 
understanding tvith  their  Brethren, — The  tribes  of 
Reuben,  Gad,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  now  re- 
turned to  the  country  assigned  them  east  of  the  Jordan. 
On  the  banks  of  the  river  they  erected  an  altar  as  a  me- 
morial of  their  connection  with  the  other  nine  and  a 
half  tribes ;  but  the  latter,  suspecting  that  the  altar  was 
built  for  sacrifice,  followed  them,  and  a  civil  war  would 
have  commenced  had  not  the  afl^air  been  at  once  ex- 
plained. Josh.  xxii. 

266.  Last  Days  of  Joshua, — The  military  career  of 
Joshua  was  now  concluded.  The  remainder  of  his  life 
was  devoted  to  the  settlement  of  the  theocratic  policy  and 
preservation  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah.  He  convened 
two  general  assemblies,  in  the  first  of  which  he  exhorted 
the  elders  to  be  faithful  to  God  and  obedient  to  his  law  ; 
and  in  the  second  he  proclaimed  the  might  of  the  God  of 
Israel,  and  called  upon  the  people  to  elect  him  for  their 
King  and  cast  away  idolatry.  He  then  set  up  a  stone  as 
a  testimony  of  their  homage,  and  wrote  the  covenant  in 
the  book  of  the  law.  Josh,  xxiii. ;  xxiv.  1-28. 

267.  Death  of  Joshua,  14:26 ;  Burial  of  Joseph's 
Bones ;  Death  of  Eleazar, — Joshua  the  son  of  Nun 
died  B.  c.  1426,  at  the  supposed  age  of  one  hundred  and 
ten  years,*  and  was  buried  in  his  inheritance  on  Mount 
Ephraim.  "  And  Israel  served  the  Lord  all  the  days  of 
Joshua  and  all  the  days  of  the  elders  that  over-lived  him." 
The  bones  of  Joseph,  which  had  been  brought  up  from 


*  The  difficulty  of  ascertaining  the  precise  chronology  here  renders 
any  statement  of  the  exact  age  of  Joshua  uncertain. 


144  JOSHUA   XXIV. 


B.  c.  1426. 


Egypt,  were  also  buried  in  the  field  which  Jacob  had 
bought  of  the  sons  of  Hamor,  the  father  of  Shechem. 
About  this  time  also  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  died  (cir. 
B.  c.  1420),  and  was  buried  in  a  field  belonging  to  his  son 
Phinehas.  Josh.  xxiv.  29-33. 

268.  Election  of  Princes  or  Elders, — After  the 
death  of  Joshua  each  tribe  chose  a  prince  or  elder  to 
govern  them,  according  to  the  injunction  of  Moses.  Ex. 
xviii.  13-26 ;  Deut.  i.  13.     (See  sect.  133.) 

269.  BooJc  of  Jasher, — The  writer  of  the  book  of 
Joshua,  in  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  sun  and  moon's 
standing  still,  refers  to  the  book  of  Jasher  (Josh.  x.  13), 
a  work  which  is  also  quoted  in  2  Sam.  i.  18.  Some 
think  that  this  book  is  the  same  as  the  "  Book  of  the 
AVars  of  the  Lord,"  mentioned  in  Numbers ;  others,  that 
it  is  the  book  of  Genesis ;  and  others,  that  it  is  the  Penta- 
teuch. It  is  probable  that  from  the  beginning  persons 
were  employed  among  the  Hebrews  to  write  the  national 
annals,  which  were  then  lodged  in  the  tabernacle  or 
temple,  and  respectively  called  the  "  Book  of  the  Wars  of 
the  Lord,"  the  "  Book  of  Jasher  "  (EdOog,  or  the  upright), 
and  when  they  referred  to  the  times  of  the  kings  were 
called  the  "  Book  of  the  Chronicles  of  the  Kings  of  Israel 
or  Judah."  The  book  of  Jasher  has  been  thought  to 
have  been  a  collection  of  poetical  compositions.  Jasher — 
"  the  upright " — may  signify  the  standard,  mdhentic  book, 
or  it  may  merely  imply  that  it  is  a  record  of  upright  men. 
(See  Calmet,  art.  "Bible.") 


B.  c.  1425. 


JUDGES.  145 


JUDGES. 


{Supposed  to  be  iir itten  by  Samuel.) 

HISTORY   OF   THE  JEWS    AS   A  FEDERATIVE   REPUBLIC.     B.   C.   1425  TO   1095. 
ABOUT  330  YEARS. 

[The  book  of  Judges  does  not  contain  the  judgeships  of  Eli 
and  Samuel  and  his  sons,  but  concludes  about  B.  c.  1112, 
extending  over  a  period  of  three  hundred  and  thirteen 
years ;  but  it  has  been  thought  advisable  to  include  in 
this  portion  the  first  ten  chapters  of  1  Samuel,  which  will 
complete  the  History  of  the  Judges.  (See  pp.  158-161.) 
It  is  stated  (Acts  xiii.  20)  that  this  period— viz.  from  the 
death  of  Joshua  to  the  anointing  of  Saul— extended  to 
four  hundred  and  fifty  years ;  which  calculation  is  thought 
to  include  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  years  under  Saul, 
David,  and  Solomon.  But  certain  inaccuracies  have  crept 
into  the  chronology  of  the  time  of  the  Judges  which  it  is 
impossible  to  correct. 

The  whole  chronology  of  the  time  of  the  Judges  is  more  ob- 
scure than  that  of  any  other  period  of  Scripture  history, 
which  can,  however,  be  somewhat  explained  by  the  suppo- 
sition that  in  many  cases  the  servitudes  and  judgeships 
extended  over  only  a  portion  of  Palestine,  and  therefore 
contemporary  judges  and  tyrants  were  by  no  means  un- 
frequent.  As  this  theory  has  been  generally  adopted  by 
chronologers,  it  is  illustrated  in  the  table  on  p.  148.] 


ANALYSIS. 

I.  Period  prior  to  the  Judges. 

Prosecution  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan  by  the  separate  tribes, 

1425.— Introduction  of  idolatry,  1425-1406.— Idolatry  of  Micah, 

1406. — War   with  Benjamin.— Six   hundred   Benjamites  forcibly 

obtain  wives page  145. 


SUMMARY. 

I.  Period  prior  to  the  Judges. 
270.  Prosecution  of  the  Conquest  of  Canaan  by 
the  Separate  Tribes ,  1425. — After  the  death  of  Joshua 
the  conquest  of  Canaan  was  prosecuted  by  the  separate 
tribes,  and  that  of  Judah,  having  been  chosen  by  lot  to 
attack  the  Canaanites,  joined  itself  to  that  of  Simeon. 
13  K 


146  JUDGES  I.-XVIII.  B.  c.  1425-1406. 

The  two  tribes  slew  10,000  men  of  Bezek  and  utterly  de- 
feated Adonibezek  the  king,  and  cut  off  his  thumbs  and 
great  toes  and  brought  him  to  Jerusalem,  which  city  had 
been  previously  taken  from  the  Jebusites,  by  whom  it  had 
been  called  Jebus.  Adonibezek  acknowledged  having 
deprived  seventy  other  kings  of  their  thumbs  and  great 
toes  and  obliged  them  to  gather  their  meat  under  his 
table.  The  other  tribes  were  equally  successful  against 
other  Canaanite  nations,  but  they  made  the  idolaters 
tributary  instead  of  utterly  expelling  them,  as  they  had 
been  expressly  commanded,  and  they  gradually  suffered 
their  children  to  intermarry  with  them,  which  had  been 
as  expressly  forbidden.  Judg.  i. ;  iii.  7,  8. 

271.  Introduction  of  Idolatry,  14=25-14:06. — The 
consequences  of  this  ill-judged  lenity  to  their  enemies 
were  ruinous  alike  to  the  religion  and  liberties  of  the  next 
generation  of  Israelites.  Their  connections  with  the  Ca- 
naanites  naturally  prevented  them  from  expelling  their 
idolatrous  relatives;  it  led  them  to  festivals  where  not 
only  lascivious  songs  were  sung  in  honor  of  the  gods,  but 
where  gross  debaucheries  were  part  of  the  divine  service, 
until  at  length  a  vile  idolatry  w^hich  chiefly  recommended 
itself  by  pandering  to  sensual  appetites  and  depraved 
tastes  spread  through  the  land  like  a  deadly  plague,  and 
weakened  the  energy  and  quenched  the  spirit  of  the  seed 
of  Abraham.  The  infatuated  Hebrews  transferred  to  Baal 
and  Ashtaroth  the  honors  due  to  Jehovah,  and  a  most  gross 
example  of  idolatry  is  recorded  as  having  taken  place  with- 
in twenty  years  of  the  death  of  Joshua.  Judg.  ii. 

272.  Idolatry  of  3licali,  1406. — Micah,  a  native 
of  Mount  Ephraim,  had  stolen  eleven  hundred  silver 
shekels  [500  oz.,  or  £125]  from  his  mother,  but  subse- 
quently restored  her  the  money,  upon  which  she  gave 
two  hundred  of  the  shekels  (91  oz.  =  £22  15s.)  to  a 
founder  to  make  a  graven  and  a  molten  image.  Micah, 
then,  "had  a  house  of  gods,  and  made  an  ephod  and 
teraphim,"  and  first  consecrated  one  of  his  sons  to  be 
priest,  but  afterward  hired  a  young  Levite.  Soon  after 
this  the  Danites  sent  five  men  to  spy  out  Laish,  in  North- 
ern Palestine,  who  in  passing  lodged  at  the  house  of 
Micah.  Their  report  of  Laish  being  favorable,  six  hun- 
dred Danites  marched  on  to  conquer  it,  and,  passing  by 


B.  c.  1406. 


JUDGES   XIX.-XXI.  14* 


Micah's  house,  the  spies  told  them  of  his  idols,  upon 
which  they  forcibly  carried  off  both  images  and  Levite, 
and,  having  taken  Laish  and  called  it  Dan,  they  carried 
on  there  the  worship  of  the  stolen  gods.  Judg.  xvii. ;  xviii. 

273.  War  ivitli  Benjamin,  1400,— The  same  year 
all  Israel  was  aroused  by  a  horrible  tragedy  enacted  in 
the  country  of  Benjamin,  which  but  too  plainly  indicated 
the  fearful  increase- of  idolatry  and  debauchery.  A 
woman  was  murdered  in  the  streets  of  Gibeah  amid 
circumstances  of  the  most  revolting  barbarity,  and  her 
injured  husband  divided  the  corpse  into  twelve  portions 
and  sent  one  to  each  tribe.  The  people  assembled  ^  from 
Dan  to  Beersheba  to  avenge  the  outrage,  but  Benjamni 
refused  to  give  up  the  perpetrators,  and  three  bloody 
battles  were  the  result.  Twice  were  the  other  eleven 
tribes  defeated  with  immense  slaughter  before  Gibeah; 
but  on  the  third  day  they  placed  an  ambush  beside 
Gibeah,  who  entered  and  burnt  the  city  whilst  the  Benja- 
mites  were  drawn  from  it  to  engage  their  main  army. 
The  eleven  tribes  thus  gained  a  complete  victory.  Gibeah 
was  burnt  to  the  ground*  and  25,000  Benjamites  were 
slain,  whilst  only  six  hundred  of  their  number  escaped 
from  the  field  of  battle.     Judg.  xix. ;  xx. 

274.  The  Benjamites  forcibly  obtain  Wives— The 
six  hundred  Benjamites  now  fled  to  the  Eock  Rimmon 
and  abode  there  four  months,  whilst  the  Israelites  de- 
stroyed all  their  cities  and  possessions.  The  eleven  tribes 
also  swore  not  to  give  their  daughters  in  marriage^  to  the 
survivors;  but  soon  repented  their  oath,  by  which  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin  must  soon  cease  to  exist.  Soon  after, 
12,000  of  their  number  fell  upon  Jabesh-gilead,  destroyed 
the  inhabitants,  but  saved  four  hundred  of  their  virgins 
and  sent  them  to  be  wives  to  the  Benjamites  on  Rock 
Rimmon ;  and,  as  the  number  was  found  to  be  insufficient, 
they  subsequently  directed  the  Benjamites  to  lie  in  w^ait 
in  the  vineyards  round  Shiloh,  where  there  was  to  be  a 
feast ;  and  Avhilst  the  daughters  of  Shiloh  were  dancmg 
the  Benjamites  rushed  in  and  carried  them  off  to  be  wives 
for  the  remainder.  The  Benjamites  then  returned  to 
their  own  territory  and  rebuilt  all  their  cities.  Judg.  xxi. 

*  Gibeah  was  subsequently  rebuilt,  and  became  the  residence  of 
Saul. 


148 


JUDGES. 


B.  c.  1425. 


THE  SEVEN  SERVITUDES  OR  TYRANNIES,  AND  THE  FIFTEEN 
JUDGESHIPS. 


CANAAN  GENERALLY. 

B.  c.  yrs. 
1.  Cushan-rishathaim,  king  of  Mesopotamia,  tyrant  .  .  .  1402-1394  8 
I.  Othniel,  nephew  of  Caleb  and  married  his  daughter,  judged,  1394-1354  40 

NORTHERN    CANAAN. 


Jdbin  of  Hazor,  with 
nine  hundred  iron 
chariots,  tyrant       .  1316-1296  20 

Deborah  and  Ba- 
rak, defeated  Sise- 
ra,  who  was  slain 
by  Jael  the  Ken- 
ite ;  judged    .        .  1296-1256  40 


SOUTHERN  CANAAN. 

B.C.        yrs. 
Moah,  tyrant  1354-1336  18 

2.  Ehud,  stabbed  Eglon  1336-1296 

3.  Philistines,  tyrants     .  1296 
3.  Shamgar,    slew    six 

hundred  Philis- 
tines with  an  ox- 
goad  .  .  .  1206-1256 
Under  Ehud  and 
Shamgar  the  land 
rested      ...  80 

CANAAN  GENERALLY. 
5.  Midianites,  Amalekites,  and  Others ;  tyrannized  .        .        .        .1256-1249    7 

5.  Gideon:  called  by  God;  throws  down  Baal's  altar;  gains  a 

victory  with  three  hundred  men,  each  bearing  a  trumpet, 
pitcher,  and  torch  ;  120,000  slain  ;  Oreb  and  Zeeb  beheaded  ; 
Zebah  and  Zalmunna  slain  ;  makes  an  ephod ;  judged      .  1249-1209  40 

6.  Abimelech  slays  his  seventy  brethren;  Jotham's  apologue 

of  the  trees;  Shechemites  rebel;  burns  Berith's  temple; 

killed  by  a  millstone;  judged 1209-1206    2 

7.  Tola,  judged 1206-1183  23 

8.  Jair,  judged 1183-116123 

SOUTHERN  CANAAN. 


EAST  OP  JORDAN. 

B.  c.        yrs. 
6.  Ammonites,  tyrants        1161-1143  18 
9.  Jephthah,    defeated 
the     Ammonites; 
slew    42,000     Eph- 
raimites,  who  said 
Sibboleth  for    Shib- 
boleth ;     vows    his 
daughter;    judged  1143-1137    6 
Ibzan,  judged  .        .  1137-1130    7 
"■        ■    '      '  .  1130-1120  10 

.  1120-1112    8 


•0 

1 1.  Elon,  judged 

12.  Abdon,  judged 


SOUTH-WESTERN  CANAAN. 

13.  Samson,  born  1161; 
marries  a  woman 
of  Timnath;  hia 
riddle ;  burns  Phil- 
istine corn  with 
three  hundred  fox- 
tails ;  slays  one 
thousand  men  with 
jaw-bone  of  an  ass ; 
carries  off  the  gates 
of  Gaza ;  treacher- 
ously given  up  by 
Delilah;  pulls  down 
Dagon's  temple ; 
judged      .        .        .  1141-1120  20 

Samuel's  Sons  judged  the  land,  but  exasperated  the  people  by 

their  cupidity 

The  people  at  length  forced  Samuel  to  anoint  Saul  as  king 


(History  continued  from  1  Sam.  i.-x.,  which 
completes  the  Judges.) 

7.  Philistines,  tyrants, 
during  Samson  and 
part  of  Eli  and 
Samuel.    (See  13.) 

14.  Eli,  judged,  previ- 

ous to  Samson  and 

contemporary 

with    Jair    and 

Jephthah         .        .  1181-1141  40 

His  two  sons  slain. 

15.  Samuel,  born  1171, 
judged     .        .        .  1141-1112  29 

Contemporary  with 
Jephthah,  Ibzan, 
Elon,  and  Abdon, 
east  of  Jordan, 
and  with  Samson, 
who  appears  to 
have  been  more  of 
a  border  chieftain 
against  the  Phil- 
istines than  a 
judge. 


1112-1095 
1095 

N.B.— In  the  above  table  the  Tyrants  are  printed  in  Italics,  and  the 
numbers  of  their  succession  in  Roman  ;  the  Judges  in  bold. 


B.  c.  1394-1256.  JUDGES   III.  149 

II.  The  Seven  Servitudes,  or  Tyrannies,  and  Fifteen 
Judgeships. 

Canaan  Generally,  1402-1354. 

275.  First  tfudgesMp :    Otliniel,  forty  First  servi- 
years,  1394:-1354, — Jehovah  noAV  prepared  tude:  Cushau- 
to  punish  the  national  treachery  of  Israel  with  Mesopotamia. 
national    misfortunes.      Cushan  -  rishathaim,  f^jil^^g^^^®' 
king  of  Mesopotamia — i.  e.  Padan-aram,  a 
territory  lying  east  of  the  Euphrates,  and  perhaps  at  this 
time  including  Syria — advanced  to  Canaan  and  made  the 
Hebrews  tributary.     They  endured  the  yoke  for  eight 
years,  when  they  cried  unto  the  Lord,  and  Othniel,  a 
nephew  of  the  celebrated  Caleb  (sect.  264),  overthrew 
the  Mesopotamian  king  and  judged  the  people  for  forty 
years.  Judg.  iii.  1-11. 

Southern  Canaan,  1354-1256. 

276.  Second  Judgeship:  Ehud,  eighty  second Servi- 
yeai's,  1336-1256. — After  the  death  of  ^f^^^^^jf^^^ 
Othniel  the  Hebrews  again  fell  into  idolatry,  Eighteen  yrs., 
when  Eglon,  king  of  Moab,  having  allied  with  i3o4-i336. 
the  Ammonites  and  Amalekites,  succeeded  in  defeating 
them,  and  established  himself  in  Jericho — i.  e.  the  city  of 
palm  trees — and  oppressed  the  land  for  eighteen  years. 
The  deliverer  on  the  present  occasion  was  Ehud,  a  left- 
handed  Benjamite,  who  being  sent  with  a  present  to 
Eglon,  assassinated  the  king  in  his  summer  parlor,  and, 
assembling  the  people  by  the  sound  of  the  trumpet, 
delivered  Israel  by  the  slaughter  of  10,000  Moabites. 
The  land  now  rested  for  eighty  years.  Judg.  iii.  12-30. 

277.  TJiird  Judgeship;  Shaiiigar, — Dur-  Third  Servi- 
ing  the  last-mentioned  period  of  eighty  years'   tude :  the 
rest    the    Philistines   attacked    the   southern  P^^iiistines. 
tribes,  but  were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter  by  Sham- 
gar,  son  of  Anath,  who  slew  six  hundred  of  them  with  an 
ox-goad.*  Judg.  iii.  31. 

*  The  Philistines  were  not  Canaanites,  but  originally  Egyptians 
from  the  Pelusiac  branch  of  the  Nile,  and  they  had  migrated  from 
Caphtor  [Cyprus]  before  the  arrival  of  the  Hebrews,  and  expelled  the 
Avim  [Hivites]  from  the  low  country  in  Southern  Palestine,  and  there 

13* 


150  JUDGES   IV.,  V. 


B.  c.  1296-1209. 


Northern  Canaan,  1316-1256. 

Syf  jaw'Z'"  278.  Fourth  Judgeship:  Barak  and 
Twenty  years,  Deborah,  forty  years,  1296-1256, — Dur- 
1316-1296.  -j^g  ^j^g  same  period  of  eighty  years'  partial 
rest,  the  northern  Canaanites  had  regained  their  power, 
and  were  commissioned  by  Jehovah  to  punish  the  idolatry 
of  the  neighboring  Hebrews.  A  new  Jabin,  king,  like 
his  predecessor,  of  Hazor  (sect.  260),  was  enabled  by  a 
numerous  army  and  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron  to 
oppress  the  northern  Israelites  for  twenty  years.  At 
length  Deborah  the  prophetess,  and  wife  of  Lapidoth,  sat 
under  a  palm  between  Eamah  and  Bethel  and  judged 
Israel.  She  aroused  the  courage  of  Barak,  and  sent  him 
at  the  head  of  10,000  men  against  Sisera,  general  of 
Jabiu's  army,  who  had  posted  his  chariots  and  troops 
between  Harosheth  and  the  river  Kishon.  Barak  refused 
to  march  unless  Deborah  accompanied  him ;  accordingly, 
she  herself  animated  his  army  by  her  presence,  and 
strengthened  it  by  her  promises  of  victory.  The  army 
of  Barak  poured  down  the  sides  of  Mount  Tabor  and 
routed  the  forces  of  Jabin  with  immense  slaughter.  The 
Canaanites  never  recovered  from  the  blow,  and  their 
general,  Sisera,  on  taking  refuge  in  a  tent  from  the  field 
of  battle,  fell  asleep,  and  was  slain  by  Jael,  wife  of 
Heber  the  Kenite,  who  drove  a  nail  through  his  temples. 
Deborah  afterward  composed  a  song  of  thanksgiving, 
which  she  and  Barak  sang,  and  in  which  she  gave  due 
honor  to  God  and  blessed  the  action  of  Jael.  After  this 
the  land  had  rest  forty  years.  Judg.  iv. ;  v. ;  Ps. 
Ixxxiii.  9. 

Canaan  Generally,  1256-1161. 

fud?:MTdYa"n.  ^79.  Fifth  Judgeship:  Gideon,  forty 
ites,  Amaie-  years,  1249-1209. — During  the  seven  years 
Sel?n  years,  following  the  eighty  years'  rest  the  Midianites 
1256-1249.  united  with  the  Amalekites  and  other  nomad 
Arabs,  and  entered  Palestine  in  great  numbers  and  plun- 
dered and  rioted  without  restraint,  whilst  fields,  gardens, 
and  vineyards  were  trampled   and  destroyed   by  their 

founded  five  governments  or  lordships — viz.,  at  Ekron,  Gath,  Askelon, 
Ashdod,  and  Gaza. 


B.  c.  1209.  JUDGES   VI.-VIII.  1^1 

countless  herds.    The  suffering  Israelites  again  cried  unto 
the  Lord,  and  a  deliverer  was  sent. 

280  Throtvs  down  the  Altar  of  Baal.— (Meon,  the 
son  of  Joash  the  Abi-ezrite,  and  a  native  of  Ophrah  m 
Manasseh,  was  threshing  wheat  by  the  wniepress  to  hide 
it  from  the  invaders  when  an  angel  appeared  and  called 
upon  him  to  deliver  Israel  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  A 
miraculous  fire,  which  burnt  up  a  kid  and  unleavened 
bread  proved  the  divine  origin  of  the  mission,  and 
Gideon  threw  down  the  altar  of  Baal,  which  procured 
him  the  name  of  Jerubbaal— i.  e.  "let  Baal  plead  —and 
prepared  to  levy  an  army.  A  fleece,  at  first  wet  with 
dew  whilst  the  earth  was  dry,  and  then  the  next  night 
dry  whilst  the  earth  was  wet,  furnished  another  proot  ot 
the  determination  of  Jehovah  to  deliver  his  people. 

281.  Defeats     the     Mldianites,    etc,     tvith     three 
hundred   meti    hearing    Trumpets,    Pitchers,    and 
Torches— Qi^eon  immediately  advanced  on  the  enemy 
with  32,000  men,  whom,  by  the  direction  ot   God,  he 
reduced  to  10,000  by  sending  home  all  who  were  leartui, 
and  ao-ain  to  three  hundred  by  selecting  only  those  who 
in  drinkiucr  lapped  water  with  their  tongues.     He  now 
directed  each  of  the  three  hundred  to  carry  a  trumpet  m 
one  hand  and  a  pitcher  containing  a  lighted  torch  in  the 
other  •  and,  dividing  his  small  band  into  three  companies 
he  approached  the  Midianite  host,  who  were  encamped 
like  a  vast  army  of  grasshoppers  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel. 
The  three  divisions  then  blew  their  trumpets  and  broke 
their  pitchers,  and  with  loud  cries  of  "The  sword  of  the 
Lord  and  of  Gideon!"  they  fell  upon  the  enemy  whilst 
the  darkness  of  midnight  was  broken  by  the  glare  ot 
torches.     The  invaders  were  smitten  with  an  uncontrol- 
lable panic.     They  fled   in  the  utmost  trepidation    and 
slew  each  other  in  their  confusion.     Fresh  forces  ot  the 
Israelites  joined  in  the  pursuit  or  guarded  the  fords  ot 
the  Jordan,  and  120,000  of  the  enemy  were  slam,  and 
their  two  princes,  Oreb  and  Zeeb,  taken  and  beheaded  by 
the  Ephraimites— Oreb  on  the  rock  Oreb,  and  Zeeb  at 
the  winepress   of   Zeeb  — and   their   heads   were   taken 
beyond  Jordan  to  Gideon.     Meantime,  Gideon  crossed 
the  Jordan  with  his  three  hundred,  and  pursued  a  flying 
remnant  of  15,000  under  the  two  Midianite  kings  Zebah 


152  JUDGES   IX.  B.  c.  1209-1206. 

and  Zalmunna.  At  Succotli*  the  elders  refused  him 
refreshment,  but  he  defeated  the  15,000,  took  Zebah  and 
Zalmunna,  and,  finding  that  they  had  murdered  his  own 
brethren  at  Tabor,  he  slew  them  with  his  own  hand.  On 
his  return  he  chastised  the  seventy-seven  Succoth  princes 
with  thorns  and  briers.  An  allusion  is  made  to  the  two 
kings  of  Midian  in  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  11. 

282.  Refuses  to  he  King. — The  grateful  Hebrews  now 
desired  to  make  Gideon  king,  but  he  rejected  the  proffer 
in  the  true  spirit  of  theocratic  policy.  "  No !"  cried  the 
magnanimous  warrior,  "  not  I,  nor  my  son,  but  Jehovah, 
shall  reign  over  you."  One  stain  remains  on  the  character 
of  this  dauntless  chieftain.  With  the  spoils  of  Midian  he 
made  an  ephod,  which  subsequently  tempted  the  Israelites 
to  idolatry  and  became  a  snare  to  his  own  house.  Gideon 
died  forty  years  after  the  defeat  of  the  Midianites,  during 
which  period  the  land  had  rest.  Judg.  vi.-viii. 

283.  Sixth  Judgeship:  Ahimelech,  three  years, 
1209-1206, — After  the  death  of  Gideon  (Jerubbaal), 
Abimelech,  son  of  Gideon  by  a  concubine,  persuaded  his 
mother's  family  to  win  over  the  Shechemitesf  to  his  in- 
terest by  saying  it  w^as  better  that  they  should  be  ruled 
by  one  man  (Abimelech)  than  by  the  seventy  men  who 
were  Abimelech's  brethren.  The  Shechemites  then  in- 
clined to  Abimelech,  and  gave  him  money,  with  which 
he  paid  men  to  follow  him  to  his  father's  house,  where  he 
slew  all  his  seventy  brethren,  Jotham,  the  youngest,  only 
escaping.  Abimelech  was  then  made  king,  but  when  Jo- 
tham heard  of  it,  he  addressed  to  the  Shechemites  from 
Mount  Gerizim  the  following  apologue,  which  is  the  ear- 
liest recorded  in  Scripture.  Judg.  ix.  1-7. 

284.  Parable  of  the  Trees, — "  The  trees  went  forth  on  a 
time  to  anoint  a  king  over  them,  but  the  olive  refused  to  leave  its 
oil,  the  fig  tree  its  sweetness,  and  the  vine  tree  its  wine  [thus  inti- 
mating the  refusal  of  Gideon's  sons]  ;  but  the  upstart  bramble 
[Abimelech]  accepted  the  honor,  saying,  If  ye  anoint  me  king,  you 
may  put  your  trust  in  my  shadow  [i.  e.  rely  upon  my  protection]  ; 
otherwise  let  fire  come  out  of  the  bramble  and  devour  the  cedars 

•'•  This  city  lay  near  the  banks  of  the  river  Jabbok.  (See  note  to 
sect.  100.) 

I  Shechem,  or  Sichem,  was  in  Samaria,  and  in  the  beginning  of  the 
divided  monarchy  of  Judah  and  Israel  it  formed  the  capital  of  the 
latter  kingdom. 


B.  c.  1206-1137.  JUDGES   IX.,   X.  153 

of  Lebanon  [i.  e.  if  ye  act  faithlessly,  Abimelech  will  be  revenged 
even  upon  the  most  powerful  of  his  enemies].  If  then  ye  have 
dealt  truly  with  Gideon  and  his  sons,  rejoice  in  Abimelech,  and  let 
him  rejoice  in  you  ;  but  if  not,  let  fire  come  out  of  Abimelech  and 
devour  the  men  of  Shechem,  and  let  fire  come  out  of  the  men  of 
Shechem  and  devour  Abimelech." 

Jotham  then  fled  to  Beer,  but  his  subsequent  history  is 
unknown.  Judg.  ix.  8-21. 

285.  Abimelech  killed  by  a  3Tillstonef  1206. — After 
three  years  the  Shechemites  repented  of  the  murder  of 
Gideon's  seventy  sons,  and  revolted  from  Abimelech  and 
followed  Gaal,  the  son  of  Ebed ;  but  Zebul,  the  governor 
of  Shechem,  having  become  disgusted  with  Gaal's  pre- 
sumption, sent  notice  to  Abimelech  that  Gaal  and  the 
Shechemites  had  fortified  their  city  against  him.  Abim- 
elech immediately  marched  against  Shechem,  defeated 
Gaal,  beat  down  the  city,  and  sow^d  it  with  salt ;  and  as 
many  of  the  besieged  had  escaped  to  a  hold  in  the  house 
of  the  god  Berith,  he  and  his  men  cut  down  trees  and 
placed  them  round  the  hold  and  fired  them,  and  thus 
burnt  a  thousand  men  and  women  to  death.  [Imme- 
diately after  Gideon's  death  the  people  had  begun  the  wor- 
ship of  Berith.  Judg.  viii.  33.]  Abimelech  then  besieged 
Thebez,  but,  in  approaching  to  burn  the  door  of  the  tower, 
a  woman  cast  a  piece  of  millstone  upon  his  head,  and  he 
said  hastily  to  his  armor-bearer,  "  ]3raw  thy  sword  and 
slay  me,  that  men  say  not  of  me,  A  woman  slew  him." 
The  armor-bearer  then  thrust  him  through,  and  he  died. 
Judg.  ix. 

286.  Seventh  Judgeship :  Tola,  tiventy-three  years, 
1206-1183. — Dwelt  in  Mount  Ephraim.  Judg.  x.  1,  2. 

287.  Eighth  Judgeship:  Jair,  tiventy-tivo  years, 
1183-1161. — A  Gileadite  who  had  thirty  sons  who  rode 
on  thirty  ass-colts,  and  had  thirty  cities  called  Havoth- 
jair — i.  e.  "  the  villages  of  Jair  " — in  Gilead.  Judg.  x.  3-5. 

East  of  Jordan,  1161-1112. 

288.  Ninth  Judgeship:  Jephthah,  six  «.•  th  s  * 
years,  114:3-1137. — The  Israelites  again  tude:  Ammol 
fell  into  idolatry  and  worshipped  Baalim,  "iJ^-iils^^^*' 
Ashtaroth,   and   the    gods   of  Syria,   Zidon, 

Moab,  Ammon,  and  the  Philistines.     For  eighteen  years 


154  JUDGES   X.  B.  c.  1137. 

the  Ammonites  oj^pressed  the  tribes  east  of  the  Jordan 
and  made  frequent  incursions  U23on  Judah,  Ephraim,  and 
Benjamin,  who  at  the  same  time  had  to  defend  themselves 
from  the  growing  power  of  the  Philistines.  (See  sect. 
298.)  The  Israelites  again  cried  to  the  Lord  for  deliver- 
ance, and  the  Lord  heard  them. 

289.  Ccqytain  of  a  JBaud  of  3l€ti  in  Toh. — Jephthah, 
son  of  Gilead  by  a  harlot,  having  been  expelled  from  his 
father's  house  by  his  more  legitimate  brethren,  had  col- 
lected a  band  of  vain  men  in  the  land  of  Tob,  a  small 
district  east  of  Jordan,  and  lying  to  the  north  of  the  half 
tribe  of  Manasseh.  In  that  age  of  anarchy  Jephthah  had 
distinguished  himself  by  his  valor,  and  probably  by  his 
predatory  exploits ;  and  the  elders  of  Gilead  now  applied 
to  him  for  assistance,  and  covenanted  to  atone  for  former 
insults  by  making  him  their  head. 

290.  Sends  Envoys  to  the  King  of  Amnion, — Jeph- 
thah immediately  sent  to  the  Ammonite  king  to  demand 
the  reason  of  his  invasion.  The  Ammonite  replied  by 
laying  claim  to  the  region  from  the  Arnon  to  the  Jabbok 
and  from  the  Jordan  to  the  wilderness,  which  had  been 
occupied  by  the  Israelites  since  their  conquest  of  Sihon, 
king  of  the  Amorites,  but  which  Sihon  had  wrested  from 
the  Ammonites  before  the  time  of  Moses.  (See  sect.  229.) 
This  preposterous  claim  was  explicitly  opposed  by  the 
Gileadite  chieftain.  His  messenger  repeated  his  words 
to  the  king  of  Ammon :  "  Thus  saith  Jephthah,  The  Is- 
raelites took  not  the  lands  of  Moab  or  Ammon,  but  con- 
quered the  dominions  of  Sihon,  who  refused  them  a  passage 
through  his  territories.  This  land  they  have  occupied  for 
three  hundred  years:  therefore  the  Lord  shall  be  our 
judge." 

291.  Defeats  the  Am^nonites  ;  his  Mash  Voiv, — The 
Ammonite  king  refused  to  hear  the  message,  but  Jeph- 
thah, after  vowing,  in  case  of  victory,  to  offer  as  a  burnt- 
offering  to  God  whoever  should  meet  him  on  his  return, 
invaded  the  dominions  of  Ammon,  destroyed  twenty  cities 
between  Aroer  and  Minnith,  and  effectually  subdued  the 
Ammonites  by  an  immense  slaughter.  On  returning  to 
his  house  at  Mizpeh  he  met  his  only  daughter,  who  had 
come  out  to  welcome  him  with  timbrels  and  dances ;  but 
the  issue  of  his  rash  vow  is  still  a  subject  of  controversy 


B.O.  1137-1120.  JUDGES   XI.-XIII. 


155 


amongst  critical  commentators  *  The  Ephraimites  after- 
ward quarrelled  with  Jephthah,  and  threatened  to  burn 
his  house  for  not  permitting  them  to  share  the  booty  oi 
his  expedition  and  the  glory  of  his  victories.  A  battle 
was  the  result,  but  Jephthah,  at  the  head  of  his  conquer- 
ing Gileadites,  speedily  routed  the  children  of  Ephraim ; 
and  then,  guarding  the  passes  of  the  Jordan,  he  slew  every 
fugitive  who  pronounced  the  word  "  Shibboleth  as  '  bib- 
boleth,"  and  thus  completed  the  slaughter  of  forty-two 
thousand  of  the  enemy.  Jephthah  died  after  judging  Is- 
rael six  years.  Judg.  x.  6-16  ;  xi. ;  xii.  1-7. 

292.  Tenth  Judgeship:  Ibzan,  seven  years,  1137- 
1130,— A  Bethlehemite,  who  seems  to  have  been  only  a 
civil  judge  in  the  north-east  of  Israel.  Judg.  xii.  8-10. 

293.  Eleienth  JiidgesMp :  Elon,  ten  years,  1 130-- 
1120.— K  Zebulunite,  who  appears  to  have  been  also  only 
a  civil  judge  in  the  north  of  Israel.  Judg.  xii.  11,  12. 

294.  Twelfth  Judgeship:  Abdon,  eight  years, 
1120-1112, — A  Pirathonite,  who  had  forty  sons  and 
thirty  nephews,  who  rode  on  seventy  ass-colts.  He  seems 
to  have  been  only  a  civil  judge  in  the  north  of  Israel,  like 
the  two  former.  Judg.  xii.  13-15. 

South-western  Canaan,  1161-1120. 

295.  13th  Judgeship:  Samson,  ttventy  Seventh  ser- 

years,  1140-1120. — During  the  judgeships   Philistines. 
of  Jephthah,  Ibzan,  and  Elon  m  the  north  and   4o  jears, 
eastern  districts,  the  continued  idolatry  of  the 
south-western  Israelites  was  punished  by  forty  years  ot 
Philistine   oppression.     The    latter   half   of  this   period 
has  been  rendered  memorable  by  the  exploits  ot   feam- 
son,  whose   life   may   be  thus   briefly  sketched.    Judg. 

xiii.  1.  -t-tj^^ 

296.  Life  and  Exploits  of  Samson;  born  llhl  ; 
became  judge  114=0 ;  judged  ttventy  years,  114=0- 

1120.— The  wife   of   Manoah,  a  Danite,  was   barren, 

«-  Modern  critics  have  ingenuously  supposed  that  Jephthah's  daughter 
was  only  devoted  to  perpetual  virginity.  See  the  different  Commen- 
taHes,  and  a  curious  article  on  Jephthah's  vow,  in  Sir  Thomas  Browne  s 
Vuhmr  Errors,  upon  this  point.  Their  arguments,  however  are  scarcely 
sufficient  to  set  aside  the  plain  words  of  the  sacred  writer :  And  J  epn- 
thah  did  with  her  according  to  his  vow." 


156  JUDGES   XIII.-XV.  B.  c.  1120. 

wlien  an  angel  appeared  to  her  and  promised  her  a  son 
who  should  be  a  Nazarite  from  his  birth,  and  Samson 
was  born  in  b.  c.  1161.  Having  attained  the  age  of 
twenty  in  b.  c.  1141,  Samson  saw  a  Philistine  woman  at 
Timnath  whom  he  desired  for  a  wife,  and  his  parents, 
after  some  opposition,  went  with  him  to  the  abode  of 
her  father.  On  the  journey,  whilst  Samson  was  alone 
and  unarmed  near  the  vineyards  of  Timnath,  a  young 
lion  roared  against  him ;  but  the  muscular  Nazarite  rent 
the  beast  as  he  would  a  kid,  and  visited  his  intended 
bride  without  revealing  his  exploit.  Shortly  after  this 
visit  Samson  returned  to  marry  the  fair  Philistine,  and 
on  his  way  he  saw  that  a  swarm  of  bees  had  established 
themselves  in  the  lion's  carcass,  and  accordingly  carried 
off  a  portion  of  the  honey.  The  marriage  was  soon  ar- 
ranged, and  at  the  feast  Samson  proj^ounded  the  follow- 
ing riddle :  "  Out  of  the  eater  came  forth  meat,  and  out 
of  the  strong  came  forth  sweetness;"  and  he  promised 
that  if  his  thirty  guests  could  solve  it  within  seven  days, 
he  would  give  them  thirty  sheets  and  changes  of  gar- 
ments, but  if  not,  that  they  must  give  him  the  same. 
The  thirty  guests  totally  failed  in  discovering  the  solu- 
tion, but  obtained  the  answer  on  the  seventh  day  by 
threatening  the  wife  of  Samson,  who  cajoled  her  husband 
out  of  the  secret.  Samson  saw  their  treachery,  and  paid 
them  with  the  spoils  of  thirty  Philistines  whom  he  slew  at 
Askalon,  but  left  his  wife  in  anger  and  returned  to  his 
father's  house.  Soon  afterward  he  visited  his  wife  with 
a  kid,  but  his  father-in-law  would  not  suffer  him  to  see 
her,  and  admitted  that  in  his  absence  she  had  been  given 
to  a  companion  of  Samson's.  The  infuriated  husband 
now  determined  on  revenge.  He  affixed  burning  fire- 
brands to  the  tails  of  three  hundred  foxes  and  let  them 
loose  in  the  standing  corn  of  the  Philistines ;  and  though 
the  latter,  upon  learning  the  cause,  burnt  both  his  Tim- 
nath wife  and  his  father-in-law,  yet  Samson  smote  them 
with  great  slaughter,  and  then  retired  to  the  rock  Etam. 
The  Philistines  now  encamped  in  Lehi,  whilst  three  thou- 
sand men  of  Judah  ascended  the  rock  to  take  Samson ; 
and  as  the  three  thousand  promised  not  to  kill  him, 
he  suffered  himself  to  be  bound  with  two  new  cords  and 
taken  to  Lehi.     The  Philistines  approached  their  captive 


B.  c.  1120.  JUDGES   XVI.  157 

enemy  with  shouts  of  exultation,  when  Samson  suddenly 
burst  his  bonds,  and,  finding  the  new  jaw-bone  of  an  ass, 
he  slew  with  it  one  thousand  men.  After  the  battle  he 
was  fainting  with  thirst,  when  the  same  weapon  which 
had  delivered  him  from  his  enemies  miraculously  fur- 
nished him  with  water.  "And  Samson  judged  Israel 
[i.  e.  the  south-western  districts]  in  the  days  [i.  e.  servi- 
tude] of  the  Philistines  twenty  years."  Judg.  xiii.  2-25 ; 
xiv. ;  XV. 

297.  Samson's  Capture  and  Heroic  JDeatJif  1120, 
— The  name  of  Samson  now  became  a  terror  to  the  Phil- 
istines, and  they  used  every  effort  to  take  him  prisoner. 
At  one  time,  when  he  had  gone  to  Gaza  to  visit  a  har- 
lot, the  Gazites  encompassed  the  city  and  guarded  the 
gates,  thinking  to  take  him  on  the  morning ;  but  Samson 
arose  at  midnight,  took  the  city  gates  with  the  two  posts, 
bar  and  all,  and  carried  them  away  on  his  shoulders  to 
the  summit  of  the  hill  before  Hebron.  Samson  was  at 
length  taken  by  treachery.  He  loved  a  woman  in  the 
valley  of  Sorek  named  Delilah,  who  was  promised  eleven 
hundred  pieces  of  silver  by  the  Philistine  lords  if  she 
could  discover  a  foil  to  his  great  strength.  Three  times 
Samson  evaded  her  questions.  First  he  said  that  green 
undried  Aviths  could  overcome  him,  and  with  these  Deli- 
lah bound  him  whilst  Philistine  lords  were  stationed  in 
her  chamber ;  but  when  she  suddenly  cried,  "  The  Phil- 
istines be  upon  thee,  Samson,"  the  withs  were  broken  like 
a  thread  of  tow  touched  with  fire.  She  afterward,  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  replies,  bound  him  with  new  ropes,  but 
with  the  same  result ;  and  again  she  wove  the  seven  locks 
of  his  head  with  a  web  and  fastened  it  wath  the  pin  of  the 
beam,  but  he  arose  and  carried  away  both  pin  and  web, 
and  she  still  found  herself  mocked.  At  last,  by  constant 
pressing,  Delilah  obtained  the  secret  from  Samson — name- 
ly, that  if  he  was  shaved  his  strength  would  leave  him. 
She  immediately  sent  again  for  the  Philistine  lords,  and 
Samson  was  shaved  whilst  sleeping  on  her  knees,  taken 
prisoner,  carried  to  Gaza,  and  bound  with  brazen  fetters, 
whilst  his  savage  captors  put  out  his  eyes  and  made  him 
grind  in  his  prison-house.  After  a  time  Samson's  hair 
began  to  grow,  and  the  moment  for  revenge  arrived. 
The  Philistines  held  a  great  feast  in  the  temple  of  Dagon 
14 


158  1   SAMUEL   I.,   11.  B.  c.  1181-llil. 

to  celebrate  their  victory,  and  sent  for  Samson  to  make 
them  sport.  All  the  Philistine  nobles  were  assembled, 
whilst  three  thousand  people  crowded  the  roof,  when  the 
blind  warrior  begged  the  lad  who  led  him  to  take  him 
to  the  supporting  pillars.  Then  Samson  called  upon  the 
Lord,  and,  seizing  the  two  middle  pillars,  he  bowed  with 
all  his  might,  until  the  vast  building  fell  in  and  buried 
alike  the  nobility  and  populace  of  Philistia  in  the  tem- 
ple of  their  idol.  The  hero  fell  with  his  enemies,  but 
his  death  was  attended  by  a  greater  slaughter  than  his 
whole  lifetime  had  achieved;  and  his  brethren  obtained 
his  body  and  buried  it  in  the  tomb  of  his  father,  B.  c.  1120. 
Judg.  xvi. 

Southern  Canaan,  1181-1095. 

Philistine  298.   Obscuve  Clironology ;  Fourteenth 

tyrants.  Judgeship:  Eli,  forty  years,  1181-1141. 

— The  chronology  of  the  principal  events  in  the  time  of 
the  judges  is  exceedingly  confused,  and  it  is  impossible  to 
review  the  history  in  strictly  chronological  order,  from  the 
fact  of  the  northern  and  southern  districts  being  judged 
by  different  but  contemporary  judges.  We  now  come  to 
the  history  of  Samuel,  who  was  born  about  B.  c.  1171, 
began  to  judge  B.  c.  1141,  and  died  B.  c.  1060,  a  series 
of  years  which  commences  in  the  judgeship,  of  Jair,  con- 
tinues in  that  of  Samson,  and  concludes  only  in  the  twen- 
ty-fifth year  of  the  reign  of  Saul.  For  ten  years  previous 
to  the  birth  of  Samuel,  and  until  Samuel  was  thirty  years 
of  age,  B.  c.  1181-1141  (a  period  just  prior  to  the  judge- 
ship of  Samson),  Eli  had  ruled  the  south-western  districts 
of  Canaan.  Eli  was  high  priest,  and  descended  from  Ith- 
amar,  fourth  son  of  Aaron,  and  was  the  first  of  that  branch 
who  enjoyed  the  high  priesthood ;  why  it  was  transferred 
from  the  family  of  Eleazar  is  unknown.  (See  sect.  231.) 
During  his  judgeship,  Elkanah,  a  native  of  Mount 
Ephraim,  had  two  wives,  Peninnah  and  Hannah ;  Pe- 
ninnah  was  a  mother,  but  Hannah  was  barren.  In  b.  c. 
1171,  Hannah  vowed  in  the  tabernacle  that  if  a  son  was 
granted  her,  she  would  devote  him  to  the  service  of  Je- 
hovah; and,  Eli  having  promised  that  God  would  an- 
swer her  petition,  she  returned  home  and  gave  birth  to 
Samuel,  who  was  then  devoted  to  the  service  of  God  as  a 


B.  c.  1141.  1   SAMUEL   IL,   III.  159 

Nazarite  from  his  infancy,  and  when  the  lad  was  weaned 
his  mother  took  him  to  the  tabernacle  at  Shiloh,  where 
he  was  brought  up  under  the  care  of  Eli.  1  Sam.  i. ;  ii. 
1-11. 

299.  Misconduct  of  ElVs  Sons. — Meanwhile,  the  fla- 
grant misconduct  of  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  the  two  sons 
of  Eli,  called  down  the  vengeance  of  God.  These  two 
men  were  priests,  and  instead  of  being  satisfied  with  the 
priest's  portion,  the  right  shoulder  and  breast  of  peace- 
offerings,  etc.  (see  sect.  170),  they  thrust  a  flesh-hook 
with  three  teeth  into  the  seething-kettle  and  took  all  that 
was  brought  up  for  themselves ;  they  demanded  all  the 
choicest  parts  for  themselves  before  God  was  served  and 
the  fat  burnt,  and,  moreover,  debauched  the  women  of 
the  congregation.  Eli,  instead  of  punishing  his  sons, 
simply  reprimanded  them,  and  a  prophet  was  sent  to  re- 
prove him  for  his  criminal  leniency  as  a  parent,  and  to 
foretell  the  destruction  of  his  house  and  advent  of  a  more 
faithful  priest ;  and  as  a  sign  that  the  message  was  from 
God,  it  was  declared  that  Eli's  two  sons  should  be  cut  oft' 
in  one  day.  1  Sam.  ii.  12-36. 

300.  Trox>1iecy  of  SamMcl. — When  Samuel  was  yet  a 
youth  the  Lord  called  him  by  name  one  night  whilst  he 
was  sleeping  near  the  tabernacle.  Samuel  immediately 
thought  that  Eli  had  called,  and  ran  to  him  ;  but  when 
this  had  occurred  three  times,  Eli  perceived  that  the  Lord 
had  called  the  boy,  and  directed  Samuel,  if  called  again, 
to  reply,  "  Speak,  Lord,  for  thy  servant  heareth."  Sam- 
uel did  as  he  was  directed,  and  the  Lord,  calling  to  him 
again,  announced  the  forthcoming  destruction  of  the  fam- 
ily of  Eli.  The  next  morning  Eli  learnt  the  awful  sen- 
tence from  the  trembling  boy,  "  and  all  Israel,  from  Dan 
to  Beersheba,  knew  that  Samuel  was  established  to  be  a 
prophet  of  the  Lord."  1  Sam.  iii. 

301.  Philistines  defeat  the  Israelites ;  Eli  and  his 
two  Sons  slain,  1141, — In  B.  c.  1141,  the  Israelites  were 
defeated  by  the  Philistines  at  Ebenezer  and  four  thousand 
slain.  A  second  time  the  Israelites  marched  against  the 
enemy,  whilst  Hophni  and  Phinehas  bore  the  ark  of  God ; 
but  they  were  again  defeated  with  the  loss  of  30,000  men, 
the  ark  was  taken,  and  the  two  sons  of  Eli  were  slain. 
The  fearful  news  was  brought  to  the  old  man,  bending 


160  1   SAMUEL  IV. 


B.  c.  1141-1112. 


beneath  the  weight  of  ninety-eight  years.  The  accumu- 
lated disasters  were  too  much  for  the  father,  priest,  and 
judge ;  and,  falling  back  from  his  seat  by  the  gate  of  Shi- 
loh,  he  dislocated  his  neck  and  died.  Eli  was  succeeded 
in  the  priesthood  by  his  third  son,  Ahituh — or  as  some  say 
Ahiah — and  in  the  government  by  Samuel.  1  Sam.  iv. 

302.  Fifteenth  Judgeship :  Samuel,  114:1-1112.— 
After  their  victory  the  Philistines  carried  the  ark  from 
Ebenezer  to  Ashdod  and  placed  it  in  the  temple  of  Dagon, 
but  their  idol  was  thrown  down  and  themselves  were  smit- 
ten with  hsemorrhoids.  They  then  carried  the  ark  first 
to  Gath,  and  afterward  to  Ekron,  but  the  same  disease 
attacked  the  inhabitants  of  both  cities,  and  after  keeping 
the  holy  chest  for  seven  months  they  were  compelled  to 
send  it  back  to  the  Israelites  with  five  golden  emerods  and 
mice,*  according  to  the  number  of  their  lords  and  cities,  as 
a  trespass-ofiering  for  their  sin.  The  Philistines  carried 
the  ark  and  gifts  to  the  field  of  Joshua  the  Bethshemite, 
who  olfered  up  the  kine  on  the  wood  of  the  cart  which 
conveyed  them  as  a  burnt-ofiering  to  God ;  but  the  wrath 
of  Jehovah  slew  50,070t  Bethshemites  for  looking  into  the 
ark,  and  the  mourners  sent  to  the  inhabitants  of  Kirjath- 
jearim  to  take  it  to  their  city,  where  it  remained  in  the 
house  of  Abinadab  till  b.  c.  1042,  when  it  was  fetched  by 
David.  In  b.  c.  1120,  being  twenty  years  after  the  vic- 
tory of  the  Philistines,  Samuel  assembled  all  Israel  at 
Mizpeh,  and  called  upon  the  people  to  put  away  Baal  and 
Ashtaroth  and  worship  God  only ;  and  he  then  offered  up 
a  sucking  lamb  as  a  burnt-offering.  During  the  ceremony 
the  Philistines  fell  upon  the  assembly,  but,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  a  thunderstorm,  the  Israelites  gained  a  complete 
victory  and  recovered  their  cities  from  Ekron  to  Gath, 
whilst  Samuel  set  up  a  stone  between  Mizpeh  and  Shen 
and  called  it  Ebenezer,  saying,  "  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord 
helped  us."  Samuel  now  judged  Israel  in  Bethel,  Gilgal, 
and  Mizpeh,  to  which  places  he  made  yearly  circuits  from 
his  residence  at  Kamah ;  but  in  b.  c.  1112,  having  become 

«  The  LXX.  add  to  1  Sam.  v.  6  that  whilst  the  Philistines  were  tor- 
mented with  haemorrhoids  their  country  was  afflicted  with  mice.— 
Patrick. 

f  Josephus  says  seventy  persons  only  were  slain,  which  appears  to 
be  the  true  reading  of  the  sacred  text. 


B.  c.  1112-1095.  1   SAMUEL  VTII.-X.  161 

very  old,  he  made  his  sons,  Joel  and  Abiah,  judges  in 
Beersheba.  1  Sam.  v.-viii.  1,  2. 

303.  Judgeships  of  Samuel's  Sons,  1112-1095 ; 
Hebreivs  desire  a  King, — The  sons  of  Samuel  judged 
the  land  till  B.  c.  1095,  when  all  the  elders  of  Israel  (or 
the  legislative  assembly  of  the  nation;  see  sect.  133) 
gathered  together  and  complained  to  the  father  of  the  cu- 
pidity of  his  children,  and,  as  the  country  was  threatened 
by  the  Ammonites,  they  begged  him  to  grant  them  a  king. 
Samuel  represented  to  them  the  evils  of  a  monarchy,  but 
in  vain,  and  at  length  the  Lord  desired  him  to  accede  to 
their  wishes.  About  this  time  a  Benjamite  named  Kisli 
lost  his  asses,  and  sent  his  son  Saul,  who  was  the  tallest 
and  handsomest  young  man  in  Israel,  to  seek  for  them. 
Saul  was  unsuccessful,  but  by  the  advice  of  his  servant 
he  inquired  of  Samuel,  who  was  still  residing  at  Kamah, 
and  to  whom  his  coming  and  royal  destiny  had  been  pre- 
viously revealed  by  God.  Samuel  satisfied  Saul  respect- 
ing the  asses,  set  him  in  the  chief  place  amongst  thirty 
other  guests,  and  gave  him  a  portion  of  the  feast  which 
had  been  set  aside  in  expectation  of  his  coming.  In  the 
morning  Samuel  accompanied  him  to  the  end  of  the  city, 
where  he  anointed  him  king  and  confirmed  it  by  three 
signs:  1st.  That  he  should  meet  two  men  by  Rachel's 
sepulchre  who  would  acquaint  him  with  the  recovery  of 
the  asses ;  2d.  That  after  that  he  should  meet  three  men 
in  the  plain  of  Tabor  with  three  loaves,  three  kids,  and  one 
bottle  of  wine ;  3d.  That  a  company  of  prophets  should 
meet  him  with  instruments  of  music,  and  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  should  descend  upon  him.  These  events  took  place 
as  Samuel  had  foretold,  and,  having  assembled  the  whole 
mass  of  the  people  at  Mizpeh  and  taken  out  Saul  from 
the  family  of  Matri  and  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  he  declared 
him  to  be  king  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  multitude, 
B.  c.  1095.  1  Sam.  viii.  3-22 ;  ix. ;  x. 

14*  L 


162  RUTH.  B.  c.  1322. 

RUTH. 

{Supposed  to  have  been  written  by  Samuel.) 

AN  EPISODE  m  THE  fflSTORY  OF  THE  JUDGES.-ABOUT  B.  C.  1320. 


304.  Character  of  the  Booh  of  BtitJi, — The  book 
of  Ruth  forms  an  episode  in  the  history  of  the  judges, 
and  the  events  it  records  probably  took  place  during  the 
judgeship  of  Shamgar,  about  b.  c.  1322-1312.  Whilst 
this  book  is  useful  in  exhibiting  the  providence  of  God 
over  individuals,  and  interesting  as  an  illustration  of  life 
and  manners  in  those  ancient  times,  it  is  more  especially 
valuable  as  containing  the  descent  of  David  in  a  direct 
line  from  Judah,  to  which  tribe  the  promise  of  the  Messiah 
belonged.  Moreover,  the  adoption  of  Ruth,  a  heathen 
Moabitess,  into  the  line  of  the  Messiah  seems  to  intimate 
that  mystery  "which  was  revealed  under  the  gospel — that 
the  Gentiles  should  be  fellow-heirs  and  partakers  of  God's 
jDromises  in  Christ.  Eph.  iii.  6-9. 

305.  Story  of  Muth,  cir,  1322, — Elimelech,  a  native 
of  Bethlehem-judah,  had  been  driven  by  a  famine  to  the 
land  of  the  Moabites,  east  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Here  he 
died,  leaving  his  wife,  Naomi,  with  two  sons,  but  the  latter 
subsequently  married  two  Moabite  women,  Orpah  and 
Ruth.  After  ten  years  Naomi's  tw^o  sons  died  also,  and 
the  bereaved  widow  desired  to  send  her  two  daughters-in- 
law  each  to  her  mother's  house,  whilst  she  herself  returned 
to  Bethlehem-judah.  Orpah  then  affectionately  kissed 
Naomi  and  departed,  but  Ruth  refused  to  go,  saying, 
"  Whither  thou  goest,  I  will  go ;  and  where  thou  lodgest, 
I  will  lodge :  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God 
my  God."  The  two  women  then  proceeded  to  Bethle- 
hem, where  Naomi  sent  Ruth  to  glean  in  the  field  of 
Boaz,  a  kinsman,  who  behaved  kindly  to  her  and  invited 
her  to  take  refreshment  with  his  reapers.  When  Naomi 
heard  this  she  directed  Ruth  how  to  remind  Boaz  of  their 
close  relationship,  which  Boaz  immediately  acknowledged, 
and  soon  after  married  her  according  to  the  law  of  Moses 


1  AND   2  SAMUEL;   1   AND   2   KINGS.  163 

(sect.  122).  Boaz  and  Kuth  then  had  a  son  named  Obed, 
who  was  the  father  of  Jesse  and  grandfather  of  David, 
from  whom  was  descended  the  Messiah.  Matt.  i.  5.  Boaz 
was  descended  from  Judah  through  Pharez  (sect.  62). 


1  AND  2  SAMUEL;  1  AND  2  KINGS. 

HISTORY  OP  THE  JEWS  UNDER  A  MONARCHY.     B.   C.  1095  to  588—508  YEARS. 

[I  Samuel  records  the  judgeships  of  Eli  and  of  Samuel  and 
his  sons,*  and  the  reign  of  Saul,  b.  c.  1181-1055,  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  years.  2  Samuel  records 
nearly  all  the  reign  of  David,  B.  c.  1055-1015,  about  forty 
years.  The  two  books  derive  their  name  from  being  in 
part  written  by  Samuel.  He  wrote  the  first  twenty-four 
chapters  of  the  first  book,  but  the  remainder  is  supposed 
to  have  been  written  by  the  prophets  Gad  and  Nathan : 
"  Now  the  acts  of  David,  first  and  last,  behold,  they  are 
written  in  the  book  of  Samuel  the  seer,  and  in  the  book 
of  Nathan  the  prophet,  and  in  the  book  of  Gad  the  seer." 

1  Chron.  xxix.  29.  Samuel  could  not  have  written  the 
whole,  because  his  death  occurs  in  the  twenty-fifth  chapter 
of  the  first  book,  and  the  remainder  of  the  first  and  whole 
of  the  second  book  relate  events  which  took  place  after 
his  death.  The  two  books  were  considered  as  one  in  the 
Hebrew  canon,  and  are  termed  the  first  and  second  Books 
of  Kings  in  the  Vulgate. 

I  Kings  begins  in  the  last  year  of  David's  reign,  and  ends 
with  the  death  of  Jehoshaphat,  B.  c.  1015-889 — one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  years — including  the  reign  of  Solo- 
mon, and  the  reigns  of  Eehoboam,  Abijah,  Asa,  and 
Jehoshaphat  over  Judah,  and  of  Jeroboam,  Nadab,  Ba- 
asha,  Elah,  Zimri,  Omri  and  Tibni,  and  Ahab  over  Israel. 

2  Kings  extends  from  the  death  of  Jehoshaphat  to  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  B,  c.  889- 
588 — about  three  hundred  years — including  the  continua- 
tion of  the  contemporaneous  history  of  the  kingdoms  of 
Israel  and  Judah  till  the  former  was  subverted  by  the 
Assyrian  captivity,  b.  c.  721,  and  the  latter  by  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity,  B.  c.  588.  The  two  books  are  generally 
ascribed  to  Ezra,  although  some  have  imputed  them  to 
Jeremiah,  and  others  to  Isaiah.     They  were  considered  as 

*  See  Table  of  "Seven  Servitudes,"  etc.,  p.  148. 


164  1   AND   2   SAMUEL  J    1   AND   2   KINGS. 

one  book  in  the  Hebrew  canon,  and  are  termed  the  third 
and  fourth  Books  of  Kings  in  the  Septuagint  and  Vulgate.] 


ANALYSIS. 

History  of  the  Single  Monarchy. 

1,  Saul,  1095-1056,— Defeat  of  the  Ammonites,  1095.— 
Defeat  of  the  Philistines;  gallantry  of  Jonathan,  1093. — Defeat  of 
the  Moabites,  Edomites,  kings  of  Zobah,  and  Amalekites,  1079. — 
David  anointed  king,  1063. — Slays  Goliath. — Excites  the  jealousy 
of  Saul. — Flies  from  court,  1062. — His  covenant  with  Jonathan. — 
Goes  to  the  Philistines,  but  at  length  returns  to  Judah. — Saul  mas- 
sacres the  priests  at  Nob,  1062. — David  rescues  Keilah,  and  flees 
from  Saul  to  Ziph,  Maon,  and  Engedi. — Forbears  to  slay  Saul  at 
Engedi,  1061. — Death  of  Samuel,  1060.— David  marries  Nabal's 
wife. — Forbears  to  slay  Saul  at  Ziph,  1060,  but  flies  to  the  Philis- 
tines, 1058. — Philistine  invasion  ;  Saul  consults  the  witch  of  Endor, 
1056. — Defeat  and  suicide  of  Saul. — His  character. — Reigned  forty 
years page  169. 

2,  David f  1056-1015,— Defeats  the  Amalekites,  and  is 
proclaimed  at  Hebron,  1056. — Abner  joins  David,  but  is  slain  by 
Joab,  1048. — Ishbosheth  slain;  David  rules  all  Israel,  1048. — Takes 
Jerusalem  from  the  Jebusites. — Defeats  the  Philistines,  1043. — Ee- 
moves  the  ark  from  Kirjath-jearim  to  Jerusalem,  1042. — Conquers 
the  Philistines,  Moabites,  Edomites,  and  Syrians. — Adopts  Mephi- 
bosheth,  1040. — Defeats  the  Ammonites  and  Syrians,  1037-1035. — 
Adultery  with  Bathsheba,  1035.— Death  of  his  child,  1034.— Solo- 
mon born,  1033. — Eabbah  taken,  1033. — Tamar  abused  by  Amnon, 
1032. — Amnon  slain  and  Absalom  exiled,  1030. — Return  of  Absa- 
lom, 1027. — Absalom's  revolt,  1023. — David  leaves  Jerusalem. — 
His  concubines  insulted. — Ahithophel's  counsel  rejected. — David 
prepares  for  battle. — Absalom's  defeat  and  death. — David  returns 
to  Jerusalem. — Dissensions  between  Judah  and  Israel ;  revolt  of 
Sheba,  1022. — Amasa  and  Sheba  slain. — Famine  for  three  years, 
1022-1019. — Atonement  for  Saul's  slaughter  of  the  Gibeonites, 
1019. — David's  last  expedition  against  the  Philistines,  1018. — Num- 
bering of  the  people,  and  70,000  slain  by  pestilence,  1017. — Revolt 
of  Adonijah,  1015. — Solomon  declared  successor. — Death  of  David, 
1015. — Character  of  David. — Reigned  forty  years.      .     .     page  178. 

3,  Solomon,  1015-975,— Extent  of  the  kingdom.— Joab 
and  Adonijah  slain,  and  Abiathar  banished,  1014. — Character  of 
Joab. — Shimei  slain,  1011. — Solomon's  marriage  with  Pharaoh's 
daughter,  1014;  his  singular  wisdom. — Commerce  of  Solomon. — 
Building  of  the  temple  and  palaces,  1012-992. — Description  of 
the  temple. — Its  dedication,  1005. — Glory  of  Solomon ;  visits  of 
the  queen  of  Sheba,  etc. — Kingdom  disturbed  by  idolatry  and 
faction. — Death  and  character  of  Solomon,  975. — Reigned  forty 
years page  191. 


1   AND   2   SAMUEL;   1   AND   2   KINGS.  165 

§  Accession  of  Kehoboam ;  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes,  975.  page  198. 

§  Prefatory  review  of  the  history  of  the  divided  monarchies.— 
Contracted  frontiers. — Keciprocal  relations  of  the  two  monarchies. — 
Causes  which  led  to  their  destruction.— Idolatry  of  Israel.— Idol- 
atry of  Judah page  199. 


SYNCHRONISTICAL   TABLE   OF   THE 


JUDAH. 

From  the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  until  Jehu  destroyed 
the  dynasty  of  Ahah  in  Israel  and  slew  Ahaziah 
in  Judah. 


First  Period. 
B.  c.  975-884. 


1.  Beliobo.am,  075. 

fenced  cities. 


2.  Abijah,})58.— Defeats  Jeroboam 

heart  not  perfect. 

3.  Asa,  955.— Suppresses    idolatry; 

defeats  Zerak  the  Ethiopian; 
leagues  with  Benhadad  I.  of 
Syria,  to  attack  Baasha  of  Is- 
rael; dies  of  diseased  feet; 
seeks  physicians  more  than 
the  Lord. 

4.  Jehoshaphat,  914.— Upholds  the 

worship  of  Jehovah  ;  organizes 
national  education  ;  fortifies 
Judah ;  levies  an  army;  ap- 
points judges ;  flourishing  state 
of  the  kingdom;  marries  his 
son  Jehoram  to  Athaliah,  Ahab's 
daughter;  joins  Ahab  against 
Eamoth-gilead ;  rebuked  by 
Jehu ;  tries  to  revive  the  com- 
merce of  Solomon,  on  the  Red 
Sea,  to  Ophir;  defeats  confed- 
eracy of  Moabites  and  Ammon- 
ites; allies  with  Jehoram  of 
Israel  to  put  down  Moabite  re- 
volt ;  his  son  siiares  the  throne. 

5.  Jehoram,  889. — Sins  like  his  fath- 

er-in-law, Ahab ;  establishes 
idolatry;  Idumcea  secedes  whol- 
ly from  Judah. 

6.  Ahaziah,  SS5. — Sins  like  Ahab; 

allies  with  Jehoram  of  Israel ; 
slain  by  Jehu. 


—Warned  by  Shemaiah  not  to  war  against  Israel ;  built 
S!dshak  invades  Judah  and  plunders  the  temple. 


Prophetical  schools  established  in 
Judah  and  Israel  from  the  time  of 
Samuel. 

Celebrated  Prophets  of  Israel. 

Elijah,  910-896.— Predicted  three 
years'  drought ;  fed  by  ravens  and  ex- 
haustless  oil  and  meal ;  restores  wid- 
ow of  Zarephath's  son  ;  proves  the  su- 
periority of  Jehovah  to  Baal  at  Car- 
mel ;  flies  to  Horeb ;  ordered  to  anoint 
Hazael,  Jehu,  and  Elisha;  denounces 
Ahab  ;  predicts  Ahaziah's  death  ;  di- 
vides Jordan  ;  ascends  in  a  chariot  of 
fire. 

Elisha,  896-838.— Receives  mantle 
of  Elijah;  divides  Jordan;  heals  wa- 
ters at  Jericho;  slays  forty-two  chil- 
dren by  two  she-bears ;  supplies  allied 
armies  with  water;  promises  the  Shu- 
nammite  a  son ;  heals  Naaman ;  Ge- 
hazi  leprous;  makes  iron  axe  swim; 
discloses  Benhadad's  counsels  to  Jeho- 
ram ;  blinds  Syrian  host;  promises 
provisions  at  siege  of  Samaria;  heals 
deadly  pottage;  feeds  one  hundred 
men  with  twenty  loaves;  restores  Shu- 
nammite's  son  ;  foretells  seven  years' 
famine,  death  of  Benhadad  and  ac- 
cession of  Hazael;  sends  to  anoint 
Jehu  ;  promises  three  victories  to  Jo- 
ash  ;  a  corpse  revived  in  his  tomb. 


Second  Period, 
B.  c.  884-721. 


From  the  sim^tltaneous  accession  of  Jehu  in  Israel 
and  usurpation  of  Athaliah  in  Judah,  until  Israel 
was  carried  away  captive  hy  the  Assyrian  power. 

7.  Athaliah's  usurpation,  884. — Joash  saved;  educated  by  Jeholada  the 

priest;  Athaliah  slain;  Joash  anointed  king. 

8.  Jehoash,  or  .Toash,  878. — Jehoiada  regent ;  worship  of  Jehovah  restored ; 

death  of  Jehoiada ;  re-establishment  of  Baal ;  part  of  the  kingdom 
ravaged  by  Hazael ;  Joash  slain  by  his  servants. 

9.  Ainaziah,  839.— Begins  well ;  defeats  the  Edomltes ;  worships  the  Edom- 

ite  gods;  challenges  Joash  of  Israel,  but  is  defeated;  slain  at  Lachish. 

10.  IJzziah,  810.— Influence  of  Zechariah ;    kingdom  flourishes;    Uzziah 

smitten  with  leprosy. 

11.  Jotham,  758. — Reigned  righteously  and  I  Joel  prophesied,  cir.  800. 

prosperously;  decline  of  the  ^S'^rtaji  Isaiah  prophesied,  cir.  760-698. 
power.  I  Micah  prophesied,  cir.  750-710. 

12.  Ahaz,  742.— Worships  Baal  and  Molech  ;  first  invasion  oi  Pekah  of  Israel 

and  Rezin  of  Syria;  Isaiah  gives  to  Ahaz  the  sign  of  a  virgin's  con- 
ception ;  second  invasion  of  Pekah  and  Rezln  ;  Ahaz  applies  to  Tis^lath- 
pileser,  king  of  Assyria ;  worships  the  gods  of  Damascus. 

13.  Hezekiah,  728. — Breaks  the  brazen  serpent,  and  destroys  idolatry ;  re- 


stores the  Avorship  of  Jehovah 
celebrates  the  passover;  rebels 
against  Shalmaneser,  725 ;  de- 
feats the  Philistines. 


166 


Explan.  Tigiath-pileser  had  made 
Ahaz  tributary,  but  Hezekiah  now  re- 
fused to  pay  this  tribute  to  Shalma- 
iieser,  who  was  the  son  and  successor 
of  Tiglath. 


HISTORY   OF   JUDAH   AND   ISRAEL. 


ISRAEL. 

From  the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  until  Jehu  destroyed  the    First  Period. 

dynasty  ofAhab  in  Israel  and  slew  Ahaziah  in  Judah.    ^-  ^-  975-884. 

1.  Jeroboam,  975.— Fortifies  Shechem.    Establishes  golden-calf  worship  and 

profane  priesthood.    Man  of  God  sent  to  Bethel.    Ahijah's  prophecy. 

Defeated  by  Abijah.    Made  Israel  to  sin. 


Rise  of  the  kingdom  of 
Syria. — Syria  was  anciently 
divided  into  small  independent 
states,  but  David  reduced  them 
to  a  province.  In  Solomon's 
reign  Rezon  seized  Damascus 
and  erected  a  kingdom.  3fon- 
arcfui. — Rezon,  980  ;  Benhadad 
I.,  940;  Benhadad  IL,  910;  Ha- 
zael,  885;  Benhadad  III.,  839; 
Rezin,  742.  Kingdom  over- 
thrown by  Assyria,  740. 


2.  Nadab,  954. — Worships  the  calves. 

3.  Baasha,953. — Worships  the  calves.    Al- 

lies with  Benhadad  I.  Fortifies  Ha- 
mah,  but  stopped  by  Asa's  interfe- 
rence. 

4.  Elah,  930. — Assassinated  by  Zimri  his 

captain. 

5.  Zimri,  929.— Reigned  seven  days ;  burnt 

himself  at  Tirzah. 

6.  Omri,  929.— Factions  of  Orari  and  Tibni. 

Omri  reigns  wickedly. 

7.  Aliab,   918.— Marries  Jezebel,  a  Phoeni- 

cian princess;  worships  Phoenician  gods,  Baal  ^\iA  Astarte;  three  years' 
famine;  Jezebel  persecutes  the  prophets;  grand  trial  on  Oirmp^ between 
Elijah  and  priests  of  Baal:  Elijah  ordered  to  anoint  Elisha,  Hazael, 
and  Jehu.  War  with  Syria.  First  campaign  of  Benhadad  II. :  siege  of 
Samaria;  second  campaign;  Benhadad  deifeated  at  Aphek ;  unholy  alli- 
ance between  Syria  and  Israel ;  Ahab  seizes  Naboth's  vineyard  ;  Elijah's 
fearful  prophecy  ;  unites  with  Jehoshaphat  against  Ramoth-gilead  ;  killed 
by  a  random  arrow  ;  Jericho  rebuilt. 

8.  Ahaziah.  897.— Worships  both  Baal  and  the  calves;  revolt  of  the  Moab- 

ites;  Ahaziah  sick  ;  sends  to  Baal-zebub. 

9.  Jehoram,  896.— Worships  the  calves;  dealh  of  Elijah:  allies  with  Jehosh- 

aphat to  put  down  Moabite  revolt;  saved  by  Elisha;  Elisha  heals  Naa- 
man;  other  miracles;  Benhadad  II.  again  besieges  Samaria;  fearful 
famine;  Elisha  restores  the  Shunammite's  son;  foretells  the  accession 
of  Hazael ;  anoints  Jehu  ;  destruction  of  the  reigning  dynasty.  [Elijah 
and  Elisha,  see  opposite  page.] 


From  the  simultaneous  accession  of  Jehu  in  Israel  and  at>    'rj\ 

usurpation  of  Athaliah  in  Judah  until  Israel  was    b  c^884-721 
carried  away  captive  by  the  Assyrian  poiver. 

10.  Jehu,  884.— Slays  Jezebel  and  destroys  the  house  of  Ahab;  worships 
the  calves;  destroys  Baal's  M'orshippers ;  Hazael  seizes  all  Israel  east 
of  the  Jordan. 

11.  Jehoahaz,  856.— Worships  the  calves;  I  ,„„„,.  „..^„t,„^:„„  „:„  oro 
oppressed  by  Hazael  and  Benhadad  IIll  |  J«"»^  prophesies,  cir.  862. 

2.  Joash,  839. — Worships  the  calves;  promised  three  victories  by  Elisha; 
defeats  Syrians  three  times;  defeats  Amaziah  of  Judah.  t» 

13.  Jeroboam  II.,  825.— Decline  of  the  Syrian  power;  brffliant  successes 
against  Syria.  .  .  .  Flourishingr  period  of  Israelite  history. 

nterregnum,  784-773.  [by  Shallum.  I  Amos  prophesies,  787. 

14.  Zechariah,  773.— Reigned  six  months;  slain  |  Ilosea  prophesies,  785. 
Shallum,  772. — Reigned  one  month;  assassinated  by  Menahem. 


16.  Menahem,  772. — First  Assyrian  invasion 
under  Pul. 

17.  Pekahiah,  761. — Assassinated  byPekah. 

18.  Pekah,  759.— Allies  with  Rezin,' king  of 

y  Syria,  and  invades  Judah  ;  makes  a  sec- 
ond invasion;  second  Assyrian  inva- 
■  sion :  Tiglatli-pileser  transplants  the 
Syrians  and  all  the  tribes  east  of  the 
Jordan  to  Media. 
Interrearnum,  739-730. 

19.  Hoshea,  730.— Better  than  his  predecessors;  third  Assyrian  invasion: 
Shalmaneser  makes  Hoshea  tributary ;  Hoshea  rebels  and  is  impris- 
oned, 725;  siege  of  Samaria  and  captivity  of  Israel,  721;  inhabitants 
transplanted  to  Media  and  Inner  Asia. 

g  Colonization  of  Samaria  by  Esarhaddon ;  origin  of  the  Samaritans. 

167 


Rise  of  the  Assyrian  Power. 

—Prior  to  Pul  the  history  of 
this  empire  is  uncertain.  Moiv- 
arch.s.—^w\,  770;  Tiglath-pile- 
ser,  750;  Shalmaneser,  730; 
Sennacherib,  715;  Esarhad- 
don, Saosduchinus,  Chynilad- 
anus.  Empire  at  length  over- 
thrown by  Medes  and  Chal- 
deans, about  B.  c.  606. 


TABLE    OF    KINGS    OF    JIJBAR— Continued. 


Third  Period.    From  the  Assyrian  captivity  of  Israel  to  the  Babylo- 

B.  c.  721-588,  nioM  captivity  of  Judah. 

13.  Hezekiah,  continued. — First  Assyrian  invasion  of  Judah :    Hezekiah 


submits  to  Sennacherib,  713;  Sen 
nacherib  takes  Ashdod,  and  again 
invades  Judah ;  called  away  by  the 
invasion  ol  Tirhakah  the  Ethiopian  ; 
miraculous  destruction  of  his  army  ; 
Hezekiah'ssick-  The  Medes  and 
Babylonians  had 
revolted  from  As- 
syria after  the  de- 
struction of  the 
army  of  Sen  u ache- 
rib,  but  the  Baby- 
lonians were  sub- 
sequently reduced 


ness,  712  ;  mes- 
sengers from 
Merodach-Ba- 
ladan,  king  of 
Babylon;  Isaiali 
foretells  the 
Babylonian  cap- 
tivity ;  peaceful 
state  of  Judah. 
14.  Manasseh,  698.- 


Contemporary  Events  in  Egypt. 

■The  Ethiopians  had  now  for 
more  than  two  hundred  years 
contested  tlie  possession  of  Egypt. 
According  to  Herodotus,  Sabaco 
the  Ethiopian  abandoned  Egypt 
about  B.  c.  715,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Sethon,  or  So,  an  Egyptian 
priest,  whose  power  was  weakened 
by  the  disaffection  of  the  military 
caste.  Probably  Sethon  reigned 
only  in  Lorver  Egypt,  whilst  Tir- 
hakah, an  Ethiopian,  successor  of 
Sabaco  and  a  powerful  warrior, 
reigned  in   Upper  Egypt. 


hy  Esarhaddon. 

Restores  idolatry  and  necromancy  ;  carried  into  As- 
syrian captivity  by  Esarhaddon,  677  ;  humbles  himself. 

15.  Anion,  643.— Restores  idolatry;  slain  by  his  servants. 

16.  Josiah,  641. — Seeks  God  in  his  youth  ;  purges  Judali  and  Israel  from 
idolatry ;      repairs 

the  temple,  624;  Egypt  increases  in  strength.  wAzV*/  the  Assyrian 
book  of  the  law  power  is  declining.  After  Sethon,  Egypt  was  di- 
found  by  Hilkiah  vided  by  civil  war  into  twelve  states,  which  at 
and  confirmed  by.  length  merged  into  a  single  kingdom  under  Psam- 
Huldah;  the  altar  meiichus  (b.  c.  650),  and  flourished  under  Greek  in- 
of  Jeroboam  fluence.  Necho,  son  of  Psammetichus,  succeeded, 
thrown  down.  b.  c.  617,  and  fostered  commerce,  and  defeated  the 
Celebration  of  a  Assyrians,  but  was  at  length  overcome  by  the  Chal- 
solemn  passover,  dec-Babylonians  under  Nebuchadnezzar. 
623 ;  decline  of  the 
Assyrian  empire  under  Esarhaddon, 
Saosduchinus,  and  Chyniladanus ; 
invasion  of  Pharaoh-Necho;  Josiah 
slain  at  Megiddo,  610. 

17.  Jehoahaz,  610. — Reigns  wickedly;  deposed  by  Pharaoh-Necho. 

18.  Jehoiakim,  610.— Reigns  wickedly;    Jeremiah  and  Urijah    prophesy 
against  him.    Charged  by  Jeremiah  with  the  murder  of  Urijah.    Jere- 
miah  publicly   foretells 
the  seventy  years'  cap- 
tivity,   607.      Pharaoh- 


Zephaniah  prophesied,  cir.  630. 
.Jeremiah  began  to  prophesy,  629. 
Habakkuk  prophesied,  cir.  626. 


Necho  defeated  by  Neb- 

UCHADNEZZAR,    who 

soon  after  ascends  the 
throne  of  the  Chaldee- 
Babylonian  kingdom. 
Nebuchadnezzar  takes 
Jerusalem ;  makes  Je- 
hoiakim tributary;  car- 
ries off  Daniel  and  the 
three  pious  Jews,  606. 
Jeremiah's  prophecies 
publicly  read  a  second 
time.  Jehoiakim  seeks 
to  destroy   him,  605. 


Overthrow  of  the  Assyrian  Power;  rise  of 
the  Medo-Persian  and  Chaldee-Babylonian 
Empires.— The  Medes,  who  had  revolted  from 
the  Assyrians  B.C.  712,  conquered  the  Per- 
sians and  established  an  empire.  The  Chal- 
DEES,  about  a  century  later,  also  revolted  from 
Assyria  under  Nabopolassar,  father  of  Neb- 
uchadnezzar, and  seized  Babylonia.  Nabo- 
polassar  then  allied  with  Oyaxares,  king  of  the 
Medes,  and  the  two  powers  took  Nineveh, 
about  B.  c.  606.  The  Medes  then  possessed 
Assyria  Proper,  and  the  Chaldees  all  Babylon 
and  its  dependent  provinces.  Nabopolassar 
was  succeeded  by  Nebuchadnezzar  very  short- 
ly after. 

Jehoiakim  revolts  from  Nebuchadnezzar,  603. 


Daniel  begins  to  prophesy, 
cir.  600. 


Jerusalem  blockaded  ;  Jehoiakim  «lain,  599. 

19.  Jehoiachin,  or  Coniah,  699.  — Neb- 
uchadnezzar besieges  Jerusalem  in  per- 
son ;  carries  away  Jehoiachin  and  10,000 
captives,  599. 

20.  Zedekiah.  599. — False  prophets  predict  the  speedy  return  from  captiv- 
ity. Zedekiah  allies  with  Pharaoh-  I  y,„ijjpi  Vjeeins  to  nronhesv 
Hophra  (called  Aprie.j  by  the  Greeks),  |  *'^*  5J5    wgm^  to  propnesy, 


and  rebels. 


168 


Nebuchadnezzar  be- 


TABLE    OF    KINGS    OF   JVDAR—Couthmed. 


sieges  Jerusalem  ;  retreat  of  Hophra,  590.  Zedekiah  secretly  applies  to 
Jeremiah  ;  the  princes  throw  the  prophet  into  a  pit,  589.  Jerusalem 
taken,  588.  Nehuzaradan  sacks  the  city.  Gedaliah  appointed  governor  ; 
slain  by  Ishmael.  Jeremiah  and  Baruch  go  to  Egypt;  remnant  of  the 
people  carried  to  Babylon. 

(For  the  history  of  Syria  see  sect.  493,  note,  and  of  Assyria,  see  sect.  554.  For 
the  life  of  Elijah  see  sect.  428,  note,  and  of  Elisha,  see  sect.  463,  note.) 


SUMMARY. 

I.  History  of  the  Single  Monarchy. 

SAUL,  1005—1056.    ABOUT  FORTY  YEARS. 

Prophets — Samuel  and  Gad. 

306.  Defeat  of  the  Ammonites ,  1095: —  Scarcely- 
had  Saul  ascended  the  thr(3ue  when  Nahash,  king  of  the 
Ammonites,  marched  into  the  territory  east  of  the  Jordan 
and  besieged  Jabesh-gilead.  The  inhabitants  offered  to 
surrender,  but  Nahash  declared  that  he  would  only  come 
to  terms  on  condition  of  thrusting  out  the  right  eye  of 
each  of  the  besieged.  The  elders  of  the  city  obtained 
seven  days'  respite,  and  their  messengers  reached  Saul, 
who  immediately  hewed  a  yoke  of  oxen  to  pieces  and  sent 
them  throughout  Israel,  saying,  "  Whosoever  cometh  not 
forth  after  Saul,  and  after  Samuel,  so  shall  it  be  done 
unto  his  oxen."  The  people  obeyed  the  summons,  to  the 
number  of  300,000  Israelites  and  30,000  men  of  Judah. 
The  messengers  returned  to  Jabesh-gilead  with  promise  of 
help  on  the  morrow,  being  the  very  day  appointed  for  the 
surrender.  Saul  now  divided  his  army  into  three  divis- 
ions, and  falling  upon  the  Ammonites  at  morning  watch 
he  routed  them  by  noon.  The  victory  was  followed  by  a 
national  assembly  at  Gilgal,  where  Samuel  confirmed  the 
election  of  Saul  by  sacrifices  and  rejoicings,  testified  his 
own  integrity,  reproved  the  people  for  ingratitude  to  Je- 
hovah in  demanding  a  king,  punished  their  wickedness 
by  calling  down  thunder  and  lightning  upon  the  wheat 
harvest,  and  lastly  reassured  them  by  declaring  that  the 
Lord  would  not  forsake  them  so  long  as  they  served  him. 
1  Sam.  xi. ;  xii. 

307.  Defeat  of  the  Philistines  ;  Gallantnj  of  Jon- 
athan f  1098, — Saul  had  now  dismissed  all  his  numerous 

15  1G9 


170  1   SAMUEL   XIII.,   XIV.  B.  c.  1093. 

army  except  3000  men,  2000  of  whom  he  retained  at 
Michmash  and  Bethel  under  his  own  immediate  orders, 
and  placed  the  remaining  1000  under  the  command  of  his 
son  Jonathan  at  Gibeah.  At  this  time  the  country,  or  at 
least  the  southern  tribes,  was  in  subjection  to  the  Philis- 
tines, and  the  latter  had  garrisons  in  the  land  and  had 
deprived  the  Israelites  of  smiths,*  so  that  only  Saul  and 
Jonathan  j)ossessed  a  sword  or  spear.  Jonathan,  how- 
ever, with  his  thousand  men  (probably  bowmen  and 
slingers),  attacked  and  overcame  a  Philistine  garrison 
stationed  at  Gibeah,  upon  which  the  Philistines  assembled 
a  host  of  30,000  chariots  and  6000  cavalry  at  Michmash, 
while  Saul  summoned  a  fresh  army,  and,  in  obedience 
to  the  command  of  Samuel,  awaited  the  prophet's  coming 
at  Gilgal.  ■  Saul  waited  for  seven  days,  being  the  time 
appointed,  but  Samuel  never  came,  and  the  impetuous 
monarch,  seeing  that  the  country  was  panic-struck  and 
his  army  leaving  him,  commenced  offering  the  sacrifices 
with  his  own  hand.  Samuel  arrived  during  the  ceremony, 
rebuked  Saul  for  his  presumptuous  disobedience,  and 
threatened  him  with  the  loss  of  his  kingdom.  Saul  now 
joined  his  son  at  Gibeah  with  an  army  dwindled  to  six 
hundred  men,  but  a  victory  was  obtained  by  the  gallantry 
of  Jonathan.  The  Philistines  were  securely  encamped 
on  the  summit  of  a  precipice,  whence  they  descended  in 
three  companies  and  ravaged  the  country.  The  young 
prince  and  his  armor-bearer  climbed  up  the  rocks,  took 
the  camp  by  surprise,  and  slew  twenty  of  the  garrison 
single-handed.  A  fearful  panic  seized  the  enemy ;  they 
fled  in  the  utmost  confusion,  slaying  each  other  in  their 
disorder ;  whilst  Saul  and  his  army,  strengthened  by  re- 
inforcements and  deserters,  fell  upon  the  Philistines  in 
their  retreat  and  completed  the  victory.  The  defeat 
would  have  been  decisive,  but  Saul  had  weakened  his 
ranks  by  solemnly  saying,  "  Cursed  be  the  man  that  eateth 
before  the  evening !"  and  the  stern  monarch  would  have 
slain  his  own  son  for  having  inadvertently  partaken  of 
honey  had  not  the  heroic  prince  been  rescued  by  the  voice 
of  the  people.  1  Sam.  xiii. ;  xiv.  1-46. 

*  A  similar  prohibition  of  iron  was  laid  upon  the  Romans  by  Por- 
senna  amongst  the  conditions  of  peace  after  Mucins  ScEevola  had  at- 
tempted to  assassinate  him. 


B.  c.  1079-1063.  1   SAMUEL   XIV.-XVI.  171 

308.  JDefeat  of  the  3IoaMtes,  Edoniites,  Kings  of 
Zobah,  and  Amalehites,  1079. — These  brilliant  suc- 
cesses were  speedily  followed  by  the  conquest  of  the  Mo- 
abites,  Edomites,  and  kings  of  Zobah  ;  *  and  in  b.  c.  1079, 
Saul  was  sent  by  Samuel  to  destroy  Amalek  utterly.  He 
accordingly  levied  an  army  of  200,000  Israelite  infantry 
and  10,000  men  of  Judah,  and  defeated  the  Amalekites 
from  Havilah"j"  to  Shur,  on  the  borders  of  Egypt,  but 
saved  their  king,  Agag,  alive,  together  with  the  choicest 
flocks.  Samuel  met  him  on  his  return  and  bitterly  re- 
proved him  for  his  disobedience,  assured  him  that  the 
kingdom  was  rent  from  him,  and  slew  Agag  with  his  own 
hand.  "  And  Samuel  came  no  more  to  visit  Saul  until 
the  day  of  his  death."  1  Sam.  xiv.  46-52  ;  xv. 

309.  David  anointed  King,  1063, — In  B.  c.  1063, 
Samuel  was  sent  by  God  to  anoint  a  son  of  Jesse  to  be 
king  in  the  room  of  Saul.  Having  gone  to  Bethlehem  to 
sacrifice,  he  sanctified  Jesse  and  his  sons,  and  first  looked 
at  Eliab  the  eldest,  but  rejected  him  because  the  Lord 
said,  "  Look  not  on  his  countenance  nor  on  the  height  of 
his  stature,  because  I  have  refused  him;  for  the  Lord 
seeth  not  as  man  seeth ;  for  man  looketh  on  the  outward 
appearance,  but  the  Lord  looketh  on  the  heart."  Samuel 
also  rejected  Jesse's  other  sons,  Abinadab,  Shammah,  Ne- 
thaneel,  Raddai,  and  Ozem ;  and,  learning  of  Jesse  that 
the  youngest  was  left  behind  to  keep  the  sheep,  he  sent 
for  him,  and  found  him  to  be  a  ruddy  youth  of  a  beauti- 
ful countenance ;  and  God  said,  "  Arise,  anoint  him ;  for 
this  is  he ;"  and  shortly  afterward  the  young  shepherd 
was  called  to  court  to  charm  away  the  evil  spirit  of  the 
monarch  by  the  melody  of  his  harp.  1  Sam.  xvi. 

310.  Slays  Goliath. — Twenty-six  years  had  now  passed 
since  the  overthrow  of  the  Philistines  at  Michmash  (sect. 
300),  and  the  latter  again  invaded  the  territory  of  Judah. 
Saul  marched  against  them,  and  the  two  armies  encamped 

*  Zobah  was  one  of  the  cantons  or  petty  states  that  existed  in  Syria 
before  the  erection  of  the  kingdom  of  Damascus  by  Rezon.  (See  sect. 
362.) 

f  This  Havilah  must  have  been  situated  near  the  south  coast  of  the 
Dead  Sea.  It  ia  impossible  that  the  army  of  Saul  could  have  penetrated 
to  the  junction  of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  where  Bochart  and  Calmet 
place  it. 


172  1   SAMUEL   XVIL,   XVIII.  b.  c.  1063. 

in  the  face  of  each  other,  on  the  sides  of  two  opposite 
mountains  separated  by  a  valley.  A  Philistine  named 
Goliath  of  Gath,six  cubits  and  a  span  [11  feet  10  inches] 
in  height,  stood  forth  and  proposed  that  the  question  of 
servitude  should  be  decided  by  single  combat,  but  no 
Israelite  would  accept  the  challenge.  At  this  time  David 
was  with  his  father,  whose  three  sons  were  in  the  Israelite 
army.  Forty  days  having  elapsed,  Jesse  sent  David  with 
a  present  of  provisions  to  the  captain  of  the  thousand  in 
which  his  sons  were  serving.  Here  David  heard  of  Go- 
liath's challenge,  and  learnt  that  whoever  could  overcome 
the  Philistine  would  be  rewarded  with  great  riches  and 
the  hand  of  Merab,  the  king's  eldest  daughter.  Accord- 
ingly, though  reproved  by  his  brother,  he  presented  him- 
self before  Saul  and  offered  to  fight  the  giant,  modestly 
observing  that  the  same  Jehovah  who  had  delivered  him 
from  the  lion  and  the  bear  would  preserve  him  from  the 
Philistine.  He  then,  after  declining  the  use  of  Saul's 
armor,  set  out  to  meet  Goliath  with  only  a  staff,  a  sling, 
and  five  smooth  stones  from  the  brook.  The  gigantic 
warrior  declared  that  he  would  give  the  flesh  of  David  to 
the  birds  of  the  air  and  beasts  of  the  field ;  but  the  in- 
trepid youth  replied,  "  I  come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  of  hosts,  the  God  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  whom 
thou  hast  defied :  this  day  will  the  Lord  deliver  thee  into 
my  hand."  A  stone  from  the  sling  of  David  struck  Go- 
liath in  the  forehead,  and  the  Philistine  was  decapitated 
with  his  own  sword.  The  enemy  fled,  and  were  pursued 
to  the  gates  of  Ekron  ;*  and  David  was  taken  to  the 
king's  house,  and  the  celebrated  friendship  commenced 
between  him  and  Jonathan.  1  Sam.  xvii. ;  xviii.  1-4. 

oil.  Excites  the  Jealousy  of  Saul, — But  the  songs 
in  honor  of  the  victory,  that  "  Saul  had  slain  his  thou- 
sands and  David  his  ten  thousands,"  alarmed  the  jealousy 
of  the  Hebrew  king.  Thrice  the  monarch  threw  a  javelin 
at  the  warrior,  but  afterward  attempted  his  death  by 
more  secret  means.  He  made  him  captainf  of  a  thou- 
sand, and  by  repeated  promises  of  his  eldest  daughter 

*  One  of  the  five  townships  into  which  the  Philistine  power  was 
divided. 

f  This  was  a  military  ofBce,  and  neither  the  head  nor  the  judge  of  a 
thousand,  mentioned  in  sect.  133. 


B.C.  1062.  1   SAMUEL   XVIIL,   XIX.  173 

Merab,  whose  hand  David  had  won  by  the  slaughter  of 
Goliath,  he  induced  him  to  engage  in  hazardous  enter- 
prises against  the  Philistines.  The  designs  of  Saul  were 
frustrated  and  he  gave  Merab  to  another,  but  again  hoped 
to  accomplish  his  end  by  promising  David  a  younger 
daughter,  Michal,  upon  his  slaying  one  hundred  Philis- 
tines. This  definite  proposal  was  accepted;  David  re- 
turned with  trophies  of  the  slaughter  of  two  hundred  of 
the  enemy,  and  Saul  was  compelled  to  fulfil  his  promise. 
1  Sam.  xviii.  5-30. 

312.  Flies  frmn  Court,  1062.— This  new  alliance 
rendered  David  yet  more  illustrious,  and  Saul  determined 
to  destroy  him  at  all  hazards ;  but  the  very  efiforts  he 
made  to  secure  the  crown  to  his  posterity  endangered  the 
succession  and  riveted  the  public  attention  on  David. 
For  some  time  Jonathan,  the  heir-apparent,  who  loved 
David  as  his  own  soul,  preserved  a  friendly  feeling  be- 
tween his  father  and  brother-in-law ;  but  some  fresh  ex- 
ploits of  the  latter  against  the  Philistines  brought  back 
the  evil  spirit  to  Saul,  and  whilst  David  was  endeavoring 
to  restore  the  monarch  by  his  harp  he  narrowly  avoided 
a  javelin  from  the  royal  hand,  and  the  same  night  only 
escaped  with  his  life  by  being  let  down  from  his  window 
by  Michal  and  having  his  place  supplied  by  an  image. 
David  fled  to  Kamah,  where  Samuel  resided,  and  the 
prophet  took  him  to  Naioth.*  Three  times  Saul  sent 
messengers  to  bring  him  back,  but  when  the  latter  saw 
the  company  of  prophets  prophesying  with  Samuel  at 
their  head,  they  prophesied  in  like  manner,  and  Saul,  who 
subsequently  went  in  person  to  enforce  his  commands,  was 
similarly  affected.  1  Sam.  xix. 

313.  His  Covenant  tvith  Jonathan.— D^w^  now  lelt 
Samuel  and  sought  Jonathan  at  Gibeah,  and  asked  in 
what  way  he  had  sinned,  that  Saul  should  seek  his  life. 
Jonathan  could  not  believe  that  his  father  had  enter- 
tained such  a  design,  but  the  two  friends  at  length  agreed 
that  David  should  absent  himself  from  the  approaching 
festival  of  the  new  moon,t  in  order  to  try  the  kmg^s  tem- 

«-  Naioih  appears  to  have  been  a  college  of  prophets  near  Ramah, 
over  -which  Samuel  presided. 

I  At  this  festival  (see  sect.  186)  it  appears  to  have  been  customary 
for  the  king  to  entertain  his  principal  officers. 
15* 


174  1   SAMUEL   XX.-XXII. 


B.  c.  1062. 


per,  and  that  Jonathan  should  report  the  result,  and  a 
solemn  covenant  was  then  made  between  them.  On  the 
second  day  of  the  feast  Saul  missed  David,  and  Jonathan 
excused  his  absence  by  saying  that  by  his  permission 
David  had  gone  to  sacrifice  with  his  own  family  at  Beth- 
lehem. Saul  then  grossly  abused  Jonathan,  and  assured 
him  that  his  succession  to  the  throne  could  never  be  se- 
cured whilst  David  lived,  and  that  the  latter  should  surely 
die.  Jonathan  ventured  to  remonstrate,  but  he  narrowly 
escaped  a  javelin  from  the  hand  of  his  father.  He  now 
saw  that  David's  life  was  in  danger,  and  next  morning 
went  to  the  field  where  he  was  concealed.  It  had  been 
settled  between  them  that  the  manner  in  which  Jonathan 
should  shoot  three  arrows,  and  the  expressions  he  should 
use  to  his  attendant  lad,  were  to  intimate  to  David  the 
course  to  pursue.  The  unfavorable  sign  was  now  given, 
and  the  two  friends  at  length  parted  with  many  tears. 
1  Sam.  XX. 

314.  Goes  to  the  Philistines,  but  at  length  returns 
to  Jtidalu — After  leaving  Jonathan,  David,  and  a  few 
young  men  who  were  with  him,  went  to  Nob,  a  sacerdotal 
city  about  twelve  miles  from  Gibeah.  Here  he  told  the 
high  priest,  Ahimelech,  that  he  had  been  sent  by  Saul  on 
a  private  mission,  and,  having  obtained  some  shew-bread 
and  the  arms  of  Goliath,  he  fled  to  Achish,  king  of  the 
Philistines,  at  Gath.  Here  he  aroused  the  jealousy  of  the 
Philistine  jDrinces,  but  escaped  by  feigning  himself  insane. 
The  cave  of  Adullam  in  Judah  next  afforded  him  con- 
cealment, where  he  was  joined  by  his  relatives  and  many 
who  were  discontented,  and  thus  possessed  a  force  of  four 
hundred  men.  He  now  consigned  his  parents  to  the  care 
of  the  king  of  Moab,  and  by  the  direction  of  the  prophet 
Gad  he  retired  from  Adullam  to  the  forest  of  Hareth. 
1  Sam.  xxi. ;  xxii.  1-5. 

315.  Saul  massacres  the  Priests  at  iNToft.— Saul  was 
dwelling  at  Gibeah  when  he  heard  of  David's  return  and 
place  of  retreat,  and  whilst  standing  under  a  tree  with 
his  spear  in  his  hand  he  indignantly  cried  to  his  oflicers 
around  him,  "  Will  the  son  of  Jesse  give  you  fields  and 
vineyards,  and  make  you  captains  of  thousands  and  of 
hundreds,  that  you  all  conspire  against  me  ?"  Doeg  the 
Edomite  then  told  the  king  of  the  assistance  David  had 


B.C.  1061.  1   SAMUEL   XXIL,   XXIII.  175 

received  from  Ahimelech  at  Nob.  Saul  immediately  sum- 
moned the  high  priest  and  all  the  priests  of  his  family, 
and  charged  them  with  having  conspired  with  David 
against  him,  and,  without  listening  to  their  excuses,  he 
commanded  his  body-guard  to  slay  them.  No  one  moved 
to  obey  the  order,  w4ien  the  king  turned  to  Doeg,  who  fell 
upon  them  and  slew  eighty-seven  in  that  day.  Doeg  then 
marched  against  Nob  and  massacred  alike  the  priests  and 
women  with  their  families  and  flocks,  but  Abiathar,  the 
ijon  of  Ahimelech,  escaped  to  David.  1  Sam.  xxii.  6-23. 

316.  David  rescues  KeilaJi,  and  retires  to  Ziph, 
Maon,  and  Engedi,  cir,  1061. — About  this  time  David 
heard  that  the  Philistines  had  come  up  to  carry  aw^ay  the 
harvest  from  the  threshing-floors  in  Keilah,  and  he  im- 
mediately marched  against  the  enemy,  defeated  them  with 
great  slaughter,  and  relieved  the  town.  Saul,  hearing 
that  David  was  still  in  Keilah,  exclaimed,  "  God  hath  de- 
livered him  into  my  hand,  for  he  is  shut  in,  by  entering 
into  a  town  that  hath  gates  and  bars  ;"  and  he  immediately 
prepared  to  besiege  the  city.  David,  however,  was  soon 
apprised  of  the  threatened  danger,  and,  being  informed 
by  the  sacred  oracle  that  the  inhabitants  of  Keilah  would 
deliver  him  up,  he  withdrew  with  his  six  hundred  men 
to  the  wilderness  of  Ziph,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Judah, 
toward  the  Dead  Sea.  Saul  sought  him  every  day,  but 
without  success.  Jonathan,  however,  met  him  in  a  wood, 
and  said,  "  Saul,  my  father,  shall  not  find  thee,  and  thou 
shalt  be  king  over  Israel."  Some  Ziphites  at  length  ac- 
quainted Saul  with  David's  retreat,  and  the  king,  having 
blessed  the  informers,  commenced  a  fresh  pursuit.  David 
withdrew  southward  into  the  wilderness  of  Maon,  but  was 
still  followed  by  Saul ;  and  the  latter  reached  one  side  of 
a  mountain,  whilst  David  w^as  encamped  on  the  other, 
when  he  was  suddenly  called  off*  by  the  news  of  a  Philis- 
tine invasion.  1  Sam.  xxiii.  6-28. 

317,  Forbears  to  slay  Saul  at  Engedi^  1061. — 
David  now  sought  refuge  in  the  rocky  heights  in  the  wil- 
derness of  Engedi,  but  his  movements  were  betrayed,  and 
Saul,  having  returned  from  the  Philistine  war,  commenced 
scouring  the  mountains  with  3000  men.  It  was  at  this 
period  that  the  king  happened  to  repose  in  a  cave  at  noon, 
whilst  David  and  his  men  were  hidden  by  the  darkness 


176  1   SAMUEL   XXIIL-XXV.  b.  c.  1060-1058. 

of  the  inner  extremity.  The  band  of  outlaws  joyfully 
congratulated  their  captain  upon  having  his  enemy  in  his 
power,  and  David  arose  and  cut  off  the  skirts  of  Saul's 
robe ;  but  his  heart  soon  smote  him,  and  his  habitual  self- 
command  stifled  the  desire  for  revenge.  "  The  Lord  for- 
bid," said  the  pious  son  of  Jesse,  "  that  I  should  stretch 
my  hand  against  the  Lord's  anointed !"  He  restrained 
his  soldiers  and  aroused  the  monarch  to  a  sense  of  his 
danger.  The  heart  of  Saul  was  touched ;  the  forbearance 
of  David  seemed  to  him  like  an  act  of  superhuman  virtue ; 
and  he  burst  into  tears  and  remorsefully  confessed  that 
the  crown  of  Israel  was  indeed  designed  for  a  nobler  and 
better  man.  Before  they  parted  David  took  an  oath  that 
he  would  not  destroy  the  family  of  the  king,  and  Saul 
then  returned  to  Gibeah.  1  Sam.  xxiii.  29 ;  xxiv. 

318.  Death  of  Samuel,  1060  ;  David  marries  Wa- 
haVs  wife, — In  b.  c.  1060,  Samuel  died,  and  was  buried 
by  all  Israel  at  Kamah.  The  same  year  David  left  En- 
gedi  for  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  where  Nabal  churlishly 
refused  to  supply  him  with  provisions.*  David  prepared 
to  inflict  summary  punishment,  but  was  stopped  by  Abi- 
gail, wife  of  Nabal,  who  pacified  him  by  presents  and 
conciliatory  speeches.  Ten  days  afterward  Nabal  died, 
and  David  sent  for  Abigail  and  married  her ;  at  the  same 
time  he  married  Ahinoam  of  Jezreel,  for  Saul  had  given 
Michal  to  Phalti,  son  of  Laish.  1  Sam.  xxv. 

319.  David  forbears  to  slay  Saul  at  Ziph,  1060, 
hut  flies  to  the  Philistines,  105 S. — David  then  re- 
turned to  the  wilderness  of  Ziph,  but  his  retreat  was 
again  betrayed  to  Saul,  who,  forgetting  his  former  repent- 
ance, once  more  scoured  the  country  with  3000  men. 
Here  the  king  was  again  reproved  by  the  forbearance  of 
David,  who  entered  his  cam]?  at  night  and  carried  ofi*the 
spear  from  his  bolster  and  the  cruse  of  water  from  his 
side,  without  inflicting  on  him  the  slightest  personal  in- 
jury. Saul  once  more  confessed  his  own  wickedness  and 
the  righteousness  of  his  son-in-law.  But  David  could  not 
trust  in  his  sincerity,  and  retired  again  in  b.  c.  1058  to 


*  It  is  probable  that  David's  forces  had  been  of  the  utmost  service  to 
Nabal  in  protecting  his  flocks  and  shepherds  from  the  depredations  of 
the  Arab  races  who  roved  about  the  southern  borders. 


B.C.  1056.  1   SAMUEL   XXVL-XXVIII.  177 

Acliish  at  Gath,  who  gave  him  Ziklag*  as  a  residence  for 
himself  and  band.  Here  he  remained  until  the  death  of 
Saul,  a  period  of  one  year  and  four  months,  making  oc- 
casional excursions  against  the  Geshurites,  Gezrites,  and 
Amalekites,t  and  at  the  same  time  won  the  confidence  of 
Achish  by  declaring  that  his  expeditions  had  been  direct- 
ed against  Judah.  1  Sam.  xxvi. ;  xxvii. 

320.  Philistine  Invasion  ;  Saul  consults  the  Witch 
of  Endor,  1056. — The  time  of  Saul's  death  now  ap- 
proached, and  a  presentiment  of  evil  oppressed  his  spirit. 
The  Philistine  armies  under  Achish  had  again  invaded 
Palestine  and  encamped  on  Mount  Gilboa,  but  Saul  was 
no  longer  animated  by  military  enthusiasm  or  confidence  in 
Jehovah.  He  gazed  upon  the  enemy's  host  with  a  trem- 
bling heart ;  and  when  he  inquired  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord 
answered  neither  by  dreams,  nor  by  Urim,  nor  by  the 
prophets.  In  this  extremity  he  sought  the  witch  of  En- 
dor  in  disguise,  for  he  had  previously  cut  ofi*  all  wizards 
and  those  who  had  familiar  spirits,  and  he  now  desired 
the  woman  to  call  from  the  grave  his  deceased  friend  and 
early  counsellor,  Samuel.  The  witch  and  the  king  were 
soon  astonished  by  the  actual  appearance  of  the  j)rophet 
from  his  tomb,  but  in  the  place  of  friendly  consolation 
they  heard  nothing  but  fearful  prophecies  and  mysterious 
denunciations.  "The  Lord,"  cried  the  terrible  spectre, 
"  will  deliver  thee  and  Israel  into  the  hands  of  the  Phil- 
istines, and  to-morrow  thou  and  thy  sons  shall  be  with 
me."  1  Sam.  xxviii. 

321.  Defeat  and  Suicide  of  Saul,  1056,— The 
broken-hearted  monarch  returned  to  the  fated  field.  The 
Israelites  were  defeated  on  the  mountains  of  Gilboa ;  the 
three  sons  of  Saul,  including  Jonathan,  were  slain ;  and 
he  himself,  after  begging  his  armor-bearer  to  thrust  him 
through,  fell  upon  his  sword,  and  his  faithful  servant  fol- 
lowed his  example.     The  Philistines  stripped  the  bodies 

*  Whilst  David  was  at  Ziklag  he  received  most  important  reinforce- 
ments from  his  own  countrymen,  and  a  long  list  has  come  down  to  us 
of  more  or  less  eminent  persons  who,  through  dissatisfaction  with  Saul, 
became  voluntary  exiles  and  staked  all  their  prospects  on  David'3 
cause.  1  Chron.  xii.  1-22. 

I  Thesewere  nomad  races  on  the  southern  borders  of  Palestine. 
Geshur  was  also  the  name  of  one  of  the  early  petty  Syrian  kingdoms. 
(See  sect.  335.) 

M 


ITS  1   SAMUEL   XXIX.-XXXI.  b.  c.  1056. 

of  Saul  and  his  sons.  The  head  and  armor  of  Saul  they 
sent  into  Philistia,  and  the  armor  was  subsequently  placed 
in  the  temple  of  Ashtaroth  ;  but  they  fastened  the  corpses 
on  the  wall  of  Bethshan,  a  town  west  of  the  Jordan  (af- 
terward called  Scythopolis).  The  Jabesh-gileadites/'^ 
from  the  east  of  the  Jordan,  afterward  recovered  the 
bodies,  burnt  them,  and  buried  them  beneath  a  tree  and 
fasted  seven  days.  1  Sam.  xxix.-xxxi. ;  1  Chron.  x. 

322.  Cliaractev  of  Saul, — The  character  of  Saul  may 
be  briefly  drawn.  Though  distinguished  as  a  Avarrior, 
yet  he  never  neglected  the  internal  affairs  of  his  kingdom, 
and  severely  punished  all  idolatrous  acts  and  rebellion 
against  Jehovah.  Though  he  incessantly  labored  to  se- 
cure the  succession  to  his  family,  he  seems  to  have  dis- 
charged the  trust  reposed  in  him  for  the  good  of  the  state ; 
no  complaints  were  uttered  against  him  after  his  death, 
but  eleven  tribes  remained  faithful  to  his  son  Ishbosheth. 
His  great  error  consisted  in  refusing  to  rule  in  the  spirit 
of  theocracy — in  forgetting  that  he  was  a  vassal  of  Jeho- 
vah and  bound  to  follow  the  divine  commands  in  opposi- 
tion to  his  own  views.  He  thus  rendered  himself  unfit  to 
become  the  founder  of  a  royal  house,  as  he  could  not  be 
regarded  as  a  worthy  example  for  his  successors.  In  per- 
son he  was  tall,  and,  when  young,  eminently  handsome, 
but  his  appearance  probably  changed  with  his  years,  for 
we  can  only  recall  him  as  a  gloomy,  stern,  and  suspicious 
monarch. 

DAVID :  OVER  Judah,  1056-1048 ;  over  Judah  and 
Israel,  1048-1015. — about  forty  years  in  all. 

Prophets,  Nathan  a7id  Gad. 

323.  Defeats  the  Amalekites  and  jjroclahned  at 
Hebron,  1056. — David  was  at  Ziklag  at  the  time  of 
Saul's  death.  He  had  accompanied  Achish  in  his  expe- 
dition against  Israel,  but  the  Philistine  princes  were  fear- 
ful lest  their  ancient  enemy  should  prove  a  faithless  ally, 
and  Achish  was  compelled  to  dismiss  both  him  and  his 
band.  On  returning  to  Ziklag,  David  found  that  the 
Amalekites  had  pillaged  and  burnt  the  city  and  carried 

*  The  Jabesh-gileadites  were  probably  grateful  to  Saul  for  having 
delivered  them  from  the  Ammonites.     (Sect.  306.) 


B.  c.  1048.  2   SAMUEL   I.,  II.  179 

away  the  women  and  families.  In  the  madness  of  grief 
his  band  talked  of  stoning  him,  but  David  having  in- 
quired of  God,  and  learnt  the  course  of  the  ravagers  from 
a  sick  Egyjitian  slave  whom  they  had  left  behind,  he  fell 
upon  the  Amalekites  the  next  evening,  recovered  the  cap- 
tives and  plunder,  and  seized  so  much  additional  booty 
that  he  was  enabled  to  send  presents  to  all  the  elders  of 
Judah  who  had  favored  his  cause.  Two  days  after  re- 
turning from  the  slaughter  an  Amalekite  brought  him  the 
crown  and  bracelets  which  had  been  stripped  from  the 
corpse  of  Saul,  and  boasted  that  he  himself  had  slain 
the  king.  David  executed  the  messenger  as  a  regicide, 
and  lamented  the  death  of  Saul  and  Jonathan  in  a 
most  affecting  elegy.  He  then,  in  obedience  to  the  sa- 
cred oracle,  went  up  to  Hebron,  where  the  elders  of  Ju- 
dah anointed  him  king.  David  was  now  thirty  years 
old ;  he  reigned  over  Judah  at  Hebron  for  seven  years 
and  six  months,  b.  c.  1056-1048,  whilst  Ishbosheth,  son 
of  Saul,  had  been  established  over  the  remaining  eleven 
tribes  through  the  influence  of  Abner.  1  Sam.  xxx. ;  2 
Sam.  i. ;  ii.  1-11. 

324.  Abner  joins  David,  hut  slain  hy  Joah,  1048, 
— In  B.  c.  1053,  Abner,  who  was  now  the  commander  of 
Ishbosheth's  army,  marched  against  Joab,"^  the  com- 
mander under  David,  to  reduce  Judah  to  obedience.  The 
two  armies  met  at  Gibeon,  and  twelve  men  from  each  side 
engaged  in  combat,  but  were  all  slain  in  the  struggle. 
The  battle  then  became  general ;  the  army  of  Ishbosheth 
w^as  defeated,  and  Abner  only  escaped  by  slaying  Asahel, 
the  brother  of  Joab,  who  pertinaciously  pursued  him. 
Some  time  afterward  Ishbosheth  quarrelled  with  Abner 
for  being  too  free  with  Saul's  concubine,  Rizpah,  and  the 
indignant  general  immediately  made  arrangements  for 
bringing  over  the  eleven  tribes  to  David.  He  went  to 
Hebron  and  communicated  with  the  elders  of  Israel — 
i.  e.  the  national  assembly  (sect.  134) — and  restored  to 
David  his  former  w^ife,  Michal ;  but  his  career  was  sud- 

-••'  Joab  was  one  of  the  three  sons  of  Zeruiah,  sister  of  David.  Of 
these,  Joah  was  slain  at  the  horns  of  the  altar,  in  the  beginning  of 
Solomon's  reign,  for  his  share  in  the  rebellion  of  Adonijah  (sect.  353). 
Asahel  was  slain  by  Abner,  as  recorded  in  the  present  section.  The 
fate  of  Abishai,  the  third,  is  unknown. 


180  2   SAMUEL   II.-IV.  B.  c.  1048. 

denly  closed  by  Joab,  who  treacherously  assassinated 
him  in  revenge  for  the  death  of  Asahel.  2  Sam.  ii.  12- 
32;  iii. 

325.  Ishbosheth  slain;  David  rules  all  Israel, 
104:8. — The  death  of  Abner  called  forth  the  tears  of 
David,  but  heralded  the  downfall  of  his  enemy.  Whilst 
Ishbosheth  was  sleeping  at  midday  he  was  murdered  by 
his  two  captains,  Baanah  and  Eechab,  who  carried  his 
head  to  David  in  expectation  of  reward,  but  were  sum- 
marily executed  for  their  treachery.  The  elders  of  the 
eleven  tribes — i.  e.  the  national  assembly  (sect.  134) — 
then  went  to  Hebron  and  anointed  David  to  be  their 
king ;  "  Because,"  they  said,  "  under  Saul  thou  wast  our 
general,  and  Jehovah  hath  said  of  thee,  Thou  shalt  rule 
my  people."  And  David  made  a  league  with  them  in 
Hebron.*  2  Sam.  iv. ;  v.  1-5.    • 

326.  Talipes  Jerusalem  froyn  the  Jehusites, — After 
this  David  marched  against  Jebus,  or  Jerusalem,f  which 
in  consequence  of  its  natural  strength  had  been  retained 
by  the  Jebusites  in  the  centre  of  the  Israelite  population. 
The  Jebusites  defied  his  power,  but  David  declared  that 

■••  This  was  equivalent  to  a  coronation  oath,  and  denoted  that  David 
■was  a  constitutional,  and  not  an  arbitrary,  monarch. 

f  Description  of  Jerusalem. — Jerusalem  is  built  on  four  hills — Zion, 
Millo  or  Acra,  Moriah,  and  Bezetba — and  is  surrounded  by  a  valley, 
again  encompassed  by  high  ground.  The  stronghold  of  the  Jebusites 
was  on  the  southern  and  larger  hill  of  Zion,  on  which  was  subsequently 
built  the  City  of  David;  but  their  town  was  built  on  the  northern  hill, 
called  Millo  in  the  Hebrew  and  ^cra  (or  "citadel")  in  the  Greek. 
Zion  was  subsequently  called  the  Upper  City,  and  Acra  the  Lower 
City,  and  the  depression  between  the  two  mountains  was  filled  up  by 
Solomon.  East  of  Millo  and  Zion  was  the  flat-topped  hill  of  Moriah, 
on  which  Solomon  built  the  temple.  The  same  king  united  Zion  and 
Moriah  by  a  causeway,  and  the  Maccabees  filled  up  the  valley  between 
Moriah  and  Millo.  At  a  later  period  a  fourth  hill  was  included  on  the 
north  of  Moriah,  called  Bezetha.  The  brook  Kidron  winds  round  Je- 
rusalem on  the  north  and  east  along  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  On 
the  south  of  Zion  lies  the  narrow  valley  of  Hinnom  or  Tophet.  The 
ravines  on  three  sides  of  the  ancient  city  form  a  natural  defence.  On 
the  west  the  descents  are  more  gradual,  but  are  protected  by  depressions 
of  moderate  depth,  which  might  have  been  easily  fortified  against  the 
simple  forms  of  attack  known  to  the  Hebrews.  The  hills  which  look 
down  on  Jerusalem,  and  lay  it  open  to  destructive  attack  from  modern 
artillery,  probably  explain  the  abundance  of  spring-water' for  which 
the  city  has  been  celebrated;  for  in  the  numerous  blockades  which  it 
has  endured  the  besiegers  are  said  to  have  been  often  distressed  for 
want  of  water,  the  besieged  never. 


B.C.  1043-1040.  2   SAMUEL   V.-VII.  181 

whoever  first  scaled  the  wall  and  drove  off  the  defenders 
should  be  made  his  chief  captain.  The  feat  was  accom- 
plished by  Joab,  and  the  king  took  the  stronghold  of 
Zion  and  made  the  city  his  metropolis;  and,  with  the 
assistance  of  artisans  sent  him  by  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre, 
he  built  a  palace  on  Mount  Zion,  which  gave  it  the  name 
of  the  City  of  David.  2  Sam.  v.  6-16 ;  1  Chron.  xi.  4-9. 

327.  Defeats  the  Philistines,  lOrLS. — In  B.C.  1043 
the  Philistines  twice  encamped  in  the  valley  of  Kephaim, 
south  of  Jerusalem,  but  each  time  were  routed  by  David. 
2  Sam.  V.  17-25 ;  1  Chron.  xi.  12-20 ;  xiv.  8,  17. 

328.  Hemoves  the  Ark  from  Kh'JatJi-jearini  to 
Jerusalem,  104,2. — In  b.  c.  1042,  David  removed  the 
ark  from  Kirjath-jearim  to  Jerusalem,  but  on  the  way 
Uzzah  was  slain  by  God  for  sacrilegiously  touching  it,  and 
the  king  left  it  without  the  city,  in  the  house  of  Obed- 
edom.  Three  months  afterward,  David,  having  seen  that 
the  Lord  blessed  the  household  of  Obed-edom,  brought  it 
to  his  own  house  with  sacrifices  and  rejoicings.  On  this 
occasion  Michal  sharply  taunted  David  with  his  unkingly 
dancing,  but  he  answered  her  with  humility  and  zeal,  and 
perpetual  barrenness  was  the  punishment  for  her  pre- 
sumption. David  would  now  have  built  a  temple  for  the 
ark,  but  was  commanded  by  the  prophet  Nathan  to  relin- 
quish the  design  to  his  successor  ;  but  Nathan  at  the  same 
time  predicted  the  glory  of  his  posterity,  saying,  "  I  will 
raise  up  thy  seed  after  thee,  which  shall  be  of  thy  sons ; 
and  I  will  establish  his  kingdom.  He  shall  build  me  an 
house,  and  I  will  establish  his  throne  for  ever."  2  Sam. 
vi. ;  vii. ;  1  Chron.  xiii. ;  xv.-xvii. 

329.  Conquers  the  Philistines,  3Ioabit€s,  SyHans, 
and  Edomites,  1040. — In  B.C.  1040.,  David  prepared 
for  an  extensive  war  upon  the  bordering  nations,  and 
the  most  brilliant  successes  folloAved  the  progress  of  his 
armies.  The  Philistines  were  first  vanquished,  and  Gatli 
and  its  dependencies  were  taken  by  the  Hebrews.  David 
then  conquered  Moab,  and,  measuring  the  whole  country 
with  a  line,  he  slew  one  half  the  nation  and  rendered  the 
other  half  tributary.  He  next  invaded  the  dominions  of 
Hadadezer,  king  of  Zobab  (a  Syrian  state),  and  advan- 
cing to  the  Euphrates,  he  took  from  him  one  hundred 
chariots,   seven   hundred   cavalry,  and  20,000  infantry; 

16 


182  2   SAMUEL   VIII.,   IX.  b.  c.  1040-1035. 

whilst  the  Syrians  of  Damascus,  who  marched  to  the  as- 
sistance of  the  enemy,  were  defeated  with  the  loss  of 
22,000  men.  David  hamstrung  the  chariot-horses,  reserv- 
ing a  sufficient  number  for  one  hundred  chariots  ;  he  gar- 
risoned Syria  and  made  the  people  tributary,  and  returned 
to  Jerusalem  with  shields  of  gold  and  an  immense  quan- 
tity of  brass.  This  victory  was  followed  by  a  visit  from 
Joram,  son  of  Toi,  king  of  Hamath  (a  Syrian  state),  who 
brought  presents  to  David  and  congratulated  him  on  his 
conquest.  After  the  Syrian  campaign  the  Israelite  army 
turned  southward  and  invaded  Edom.  The  conquering 
Hebrews  slew  18,000  Edomites  in  the  Valley  of  Salt,  and 
garrisoned  the  whole  country  and  made  the  people  tribu- 
tary. By  these  conquests  the  dominions  of  David  were 
extended  to  the  Euphrates  on  the  north  and  east,  and  to 
the  Red  Sea  on  the  south.  2  Sam.  viii. ;  1  Chron.  xviii. 

330.  Adopts  3Iephibos7iefh,  1040, — David,  being 
now  firmly  established,  fulfilled  his  former  covenant  with 
Jonathan  by  sending  for  his  son  Mephibosheth,  whom  he 
placed  under  the  care  of  Ziba,  an  old  servant  of  Saul's; 
and  entertained  at  his  own  table.  Mephibosheth  had 
been  lamed  by  his  nurse  in  both  feet  during  the  flight 
from  Jezreel  on  the  arrival  of  the  tidings  of  the  deaths 
of  Saul  and  Jonathan.  2  Sam.  ix. 

331.  Defeats  the  Ammonites  and  Si/Hans^  1037~ 
1035, — In  B.  c.  1037,  Nahash,  king  of  the  Ammonites, 
died,  and  David  sent  ambassadors  to  condole  with  his  son 
Hanun.  The  Ammonite  princes  persuaded  their  new 
king  that  their  messengers  were  sent  as  spies,  and  Hanun 
accordingly  shaved  off"  half  their  beards,  cut  ofi*  their 
garments,  and  sent  them  back  to  David ;  and,  seeing  that 
a  war  would  be  now  inevitable,  he  hired  20,000  infantry 
from  the  two  Syrian  states  of  Beth-rehob  and  Zoba ; 
1000  men  of  King  Maacah,  in  the  immediate  north  of 
Palestine;  and  12,000  men  of  Tob,  a  small  territory 
north  of  Manasseh  and  east  of  the  Jordan.  Joab  was 
immediately  sent  by  David  against  the  combined  forces. 
He  divided  his  army  into  two  divisions ;  with  the  first, 
consisting  of  chosen  men,  he  fell  upon  the  Syrians,  whilst 
he  sent  the  other,  under  his  brother  Abishai,  against  the 
Ammonites.  The  enemy  were  routed  on  all  sides,  and 
the  conquering   Hebrews  returned  to   Jerusalem.     The 


B.C.  1035-1033.  2   SAMUEL   X.-XII.  183 

next  year,  b.  c.  1036,  a  fresh  army  of  Syrians  were  col- 
lected by  Hadadezer,  but  David  quickly  reassembled  his 
forces,  crossed  the  Jordan,  and  defeated  him  at  Helam ; 
the  fighting-men  of  seven  hundred  chariots  and  40,000 
cavalry  fell  upon  the  field  of  battle,  and  Shobach,  the 
commander-in-chief,  was  slain.  This  decisive  victory  pre- 
vented the  Syrians  from  afibrding  any  further  aid  to  the 
Ammonites,  and  the  next  year,  B.C.  1035,  David  sent 
Joab  to  destroy  Ammon  and  besiege  Kabbah — i.  e.  "  chief 
city" — whilst  he  himself  remained  at  Jerusalem.  2  Sam. 
X. ;  1  Chron.  xix. 

332.  Adultery  tvith  Bathsheha,  1035, — During  the 
siege  David  was  attracted  by  the  beauty  of  Bathsheba, 
wife  of  Uriah,  and  sent  for  her  to  his  palace  whilst  her 
husband  was  serving  under  Joab  at  Kabbah.  The  natural 
result  followed  the  intercourse,  and  David  sought  to  veil 
his  guilt  by  sending  for  Uriah  to  Jerusalem,  but  the  gal- 
lant soldier  refused  to  sleep  in  his  house  whilst  his  com- 
panions-in-arms  were  encamped  in  the  open  fields.  The 
disappointed  monarch  sent  him  back  with  directions  to 
Joab  to  compass  his  death  by  placing  him  "  in  the  fore- 
front of  the  hottest  battle,"  and  the  adultery  of  David 
was  quickly  followed  by  the  murder  of  Uriah.  Scarcely 
was  the  mourning  of  Bathsheba  comj^leted  when  David 
made  her  his  wife  and  she  bore  him  a  son.  The  anger  of 
the  Lord  was  now  aroused,  and  Nathan  was  sent  to  David, 
and  by  the  parable  of  the  poor  man's  ewe  lamb  forced 
the  king  to  become  his  own  judge.  He  then  assured 
David  that  in  punishment  for  his  crime  the  sword  should 
never  depart  from  his  house,  that  evil  should  be  raised  up 
against  him  in  his  own  family,  that  his  own  wives  should 
be  openly  abused,  and  that  the  child  of  Bathsheba  should 
die.  2  Sam.  xi. ;  xii.  1-12. 

333.  Death  of  Ms  Child ,  1034: ;  Solomon  horn^ 
1033;  Mabbah  takeri,  1033. — David  confessed  and 
repented  of  his  crime,  but  scarcely  had  Nathan  left  his 
presence  when  his  child  by  Bathsheba  was  seized  with 
sickness,  and  though  he  prayed  and  fasted  before  God, 
yet  it  died  on  the  seventh  day  after.  The  bereaved 
parents  were  at  length  comforted,  and  Bathsheba  bore 
Solomon  in  b.  c.  1033.  Meanwhile,  Joab  had  reduced 
Eabbah  to  extremities,  and  sent  to  David  to  come  in 


184  2  SAMUEL   XII.,   XIII.  b.  c.  1032-1027. 

person  and  take  the  honors  of  the  capture.  David  then 
went  down  and  took  the  city ;  the  royal  crown,  rich  with 
jewels,  and  weighing  a  talent  of  gold  [170  oz.  =£680],* 
was  transferred  to  his  head,  and  the  inhabitants  were 
either  slain  or  made  to  labor  in  brick-kilns  or  with  saws, 
axes,  and  harrows.  2  Sam.  xii.  13-31 ;  1  Chron.  xx. 
1-3. 

334.  Tamar  abused  by  Amnon,  1032. — The  fear- 
ful prophecies  of  Nathan  were  now  to  be  accomplished  in 
the  family  of  David,  and  a  revolting  outrage  divided  the 
royal  household,  and  ultimately  led  to  fratricide  and  re- 
bellion. Amnon,  son  of  David  by  Ahinoam,  being  in 
love  with  his  half-sister  Tamar,  incestuously  abused  her. 
The  injured  princess  rent  her  garments  and  put  ashes  on 
her  head,  when  her  brother  Absalom  met  her,  learnt  the 
cause  of  h^  grief,  enjoined  her  to  secrecy,  and  received 
her  into  his  own  house.  2  Sam.  xiii.  1-20. 

335.  Amnon  slain,  and  Absalom  exiled,  1030, — 
For  two  years  Absalom  never  spoke  to  his  brother  Am- 
non ;  but  in  b.  c.  1030  he  invited  all  his  brothers  to  his 
sheep-shearing,  and  Amnon  amongst  them.  During  the 
feast  Amnon  was  assassinated  by  the  servants  of  Absalom, 
who  instantly  fled  to  the  king  of  Geshur,  whilst  his  re- 
maining brothers  returned  to  weep  with  their  sorrowing 
father.  2  Sam.  xiii.  20-38. 

336.  Return  of  Absalom,  1027* — After  three  years 
David  forgot  the  murder  of  Amnon  and  mourned  for  the 
return  of  Absalom ;  and  Joab,  by  means  of  a  wise  woman 
of  Tekoah,  persuaded  the  king  to  send  to  Geshur  for  the 
refugee.  Absalom  then  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  was 
praised  throughout  Israel  as  the  most  beautiful  man  in 
the  kingdom ;  and  his  hair,  which  was  annually  polled,  is 
said  to  have  weighed  two  hundred  royal  shekels  [91  oz.]. 
For  two  years  longer  David  refused  to  see  his  favorite 
son,  and  Joab,  who  had  been  twice  sent  for  by  Absalom 
to  effect  a  reconciliation,  persisted  in  declining  to  come. 
At  length,  in  b.  c.  1025,  Absalom  obtained  an  interview 
with  the  commander-in-chief  by  the  ingenious  device  of 
firing  his  field  of  barley,  and  Joab  mediated  between  the 

*  The  Syriac  talent  weighed  fifteen  Attic  minaa,  or  one-fourth  of  the 
common  Attic  talent. 


c.  1023. 


2   SAMUEL   XIII.-XV.  185 


father  and  son,  and  "  the  king  kissed  Absalom."  2  Sam. 
xiii.  39 ;  xiv. 

337.  Absalom's  Hevoltf  1023. — The  last  and  severest 
calamity  threatened  by  Nathan  was  now  to  be  inflicted 
upon  David,  but  the  aged  monarch  was  prepared  to  en- 
dure the  affliction  with  a  submissive  humility  which 
proved  the  depth  of  his  piety  and  sincerity  of  his  repent- 
ance. His  son  Absalom  had  won  the  hearts  of  all  Israel 
by  fair  speeches  and  courteous  behavior.  In  b.  c.  1023 
he  obtained  the  permission  of  David  to  go  to  Hebron 
under  the  pretence  of  performing  a  vow ;  but  he  sent 
spies  throughout  all  the  tribes,  saying,  "As  soon  as  ye 
hear  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  ye  shall  say,  Absalom 
reigneth  in  Hebron."  He  then  left  Jerusalem  with  two 
hundred  men  totally  ignorant  of  his  design,  and  on  arriv- 
ing at  Hebron  he  sent  for  Ahithophel  the  Gilonite,  David's 
counsellor,  whilst  fresh  adherents  rapidly  poured  in  and 
strengthened  the  conspiracy.  2  Sam.  xv.  1-12. 

338.  David  leaves  Jerusalem, — Directly  David  heard 
of  this  formidable  revolt  he  retired  from  Jerusalem  to 
avoid  a  sudden  attack,  and  left  ten  concubines  to  keep 
his  house.  All  his  servants  followed  him,  with  the  Cher- 
ethites,  Pelethites,  and  six  hundred  Gittites*  from  Gath, 
under  Ittai ;  and  though  David  especially  advised  Ittai 
to  return  because  he  was  an  exile,  the  latter  declared  his 
determination  to  follow  him  until  death.  Zadok  and 
Abiathar  the  priests  had  also  borne  the  ark  after  the 
king,  but  David  ordered  them  to  carry  it  back  to  the  city 
and  send  him  an  account  of  future  proceedings  by  their 
two  sons,  Ahimaaz,  son  of  Zadok,  and  Jonathan,  son  of 
Abiathar.  David  and  his  followers,  weeping  and  bare- 
foot, then  ascended  Mount  Olivet,  where  he  heard  that 
Ahithophel — "whose  counsel,"  says  the  sacred  record, 
"was  like  the  oracle  of  God" — had  joined  Absalom  in 
the  revolt.  David  prayed  that  his  advice  might  be  turned 
into  foolishness,  and  shortly  afterward  was  joined  by  Hu- 
shai  the  Archite,  whom  he  desired  to  join  Absalom  and 
endeavor  to  defeat  Ahithophel  and  communicate  through 


*  These  Cherethites,  Pelethites,  and  Gittites  appear  to  have  been 
foreign  troops  from  Philistia  and  the  neighborhood,  whom  David  had 
taken  into  his  pay. 

16* 


186  2   SAMUEL   XV.-XVII.  b.  c.  1023. 

Jonathan  and  Ahimaaz.  After  passing  the  summit  of 
Olivet,  Da\dd  was  met  by  Ziba,  the  servant  of  Mephibo- 
sheth,  with  two  asses  laden  with  provisions.  On  being 
asked  for  his  master,  Ziba  falsely  replied  that  he  stayed 
at  Jerusalem  to  receive  Absalom,  upon  Avhich  the  king 
transferred  to  him  all  that  he  had  previously  given  to 
Mephibosheth.  At  Bahurim,  Shimei,  a  member  of  Saul's 
house,  came  forth  and  cursed  and  threw  stones  at  David 
and  his  people ;  but  though  Abishai,  son  of  Zeruiah  and 
brother  of  Joab,  begged  permission  to  slay  the  rebel, 
David  indignantly  refused,  choosing  rather  to  bear  with 
an  indis^nity  Avhich  he  considered  to  be  a  chastening  from 
Jehovah.  2  Sam.  xv.  13-37;  xvi.  1-14. 

339.  David's  Concubines  Insulted, — Meanwhile,  Ab- 
salom had  reached  Jerusalem  with  Ahithophel  and  been 
joined  by  Hushai.  His  first  act  was  in  accordance  with 
the  advice  of  Ahithophel,  and,  whilst  it  proved  the  con- 
summate wisdom  of  the  counsellor,  it  fulfilled  the  most 
mysterious  prophecy  of  Nathan.  To  assure  the  people 
that  the  breach  between  himself  and  his  father  was  irrep- 
arable, and  that  no  sacrifice  of  his  adherents  would  ob- 
tain a  pardon  for  himself,  he  publicly  abused  his  father's 
ten  concubines.  .2  Sam.  xvi.  15-23. 

340.  AhithoiiheVs  Counsel  Hejecfed, — Ahithophel 
then  advised  Absalom  to  send  him  at  the  head  of  10,000 
men  to  pursue  Da^^d  and  smite  him  whilst  his  people 
were  weary;  but  Hushai  opposed  this  by  saying  that 
David  was  a  valiant  man,  and  recommending  that  they 
should  wait  until  all  Israel  were  on  their  side,  and  thus  be 
certain  of  ^dctory  before  they  ventured  on  a  battle.  This 
foolish  proposal  was  immediately  accepted  by  Absalom, 
and  Hushai  forwarded  the  news  to  David  through  the 
sons  of  Zadok  and  Abiathar.  The  tAvo  messengers  nar- 
rowly escaped  apprehension.  They  had  waited  at  the 
Pool  of  Siloam,  without  Jerusalem,  where  a  wench  brought 
them  the  message,  but  a  lad  saw  them,  and  told  Absalom, 
who  instantly  ordered  them  to  be  pursued  ;  and  they  would 
have  been  taken  at  Bahurim,  where  Shimei  cursed  David, 
had  not  a  woman  hid  them  in  a  well  and  misdirected  the 
pursuers.  2  Sam.  xvii.  1-20. 

341.  David  prepares  for  Battle, — Upon  learning 
that  Hushai's  advice  was  taken,  David  crossed  the  Jor- 


B.  c.  1023.  2   SAMUEL   XYII.,   XYIII.  187 

dan  and  marched  to  Mahanaim,  where  his  army  were  re- 
freshed and  strengthened  by  the  generous  hospitality  of 
Shobi,  son  of  ISTahash  the  Ammonite,  Barzillai  the  Gilead- 
ite,  and  Machir,  son  of  Ammiel.  David  then  divided  his 
forces  into  three  divisions,  the  first  under  Joab,  the  second 
under  Abishai,  and  the  third  under  Ittai  the  Gittite ;  and 
after  re\aewing  the  soldiers  and  strictly  charging  the  gen- 
erals to  deal  gently  with  Absalom,  he  sent  them  to  the 
battle,  whilst  he  himself  remained  in  the  city.  2  Sam.  xvii. 
22,  24,  26-29 ;  xviii.  1-5. 

342.  Absalom's  Defeat  and  Death,  1023. — Mean- 
time, the  party  of  Absalom  had  lost  its  best  supporter,  for 
Ahithophel  was  so  hurt  at  the  rejection  of  his  advice  that 
he  returned  home,  set  his  affairs  in  order,  and  committed 
suicide.  Absalom  now  made  Amasa  commander  of  his 
host,  and,  crossing  the  Jordan  in  pursuit  of  David,  he  en- 
camped in  Gilead.  The  battle  was  fought  in  the  wood  of 
Ephraim,*  but  became  quickly  scattered  over  the  whole 
country,  for  the  army  of  Absalom  was  soon  divided  and 
routed  by  the  veterans  of  David.  Whilst  Absalom  was 
riding  on  a  mule  during  the  engagement,  his  hair  caught 
in  the  branches  of  an  oak  and  kept  him  hanging.  This 
being  told  to  Joab,  he  hurried  to  the  place  and  thrust 
three  darts  through  the  heart  of  Absalom,  whilst  ten 
young  men  who  bore  his  armor  completed  the  murder, 
threw  the  body  into  a  pit,  and  covered  it  with  stones. 
The  news  was  carried  to  David  by  Ahimaaz  and  Cushi, 
but  the  agony  of  the  father  overcame  the  exultation  of 
the  king,  and  in  the  bitterness  of  grief  he  cried,  on  the 
eve  of  victory,  "  O  Absalom,  my  son,  mv  son !  would  God 
I  had  died  for  thee !"  2  Sam.  xvii.  23,  25 ;  xviii.  6-33. 

343.  David  returns  to  Jerusalem. — The  remon- 
strances of  Joab  and  discontent  of  the  people  at  length 
aroused  David  to  a  sense  of  his  regal  duty.  He  sent  to 
Zadok  and  Abiathar  to  call  upon  the  elders  of  Judah  to 
bring  back  their  monarch,  and  to  reassure  Amasa,  the 
late  commander-in-chief  of  Absalom,  by  a  promise  of  the 
generalship  of  his  o\^^l  army  in  the  room  of  the  murderer 
of  his  son.  All  Judah  now  assembled  at  Gilgal  to  attend 
their  king  over  Jordan  and  welcome  his  return.    Amongst 

*  This  forest  was  on  the  east  of  Jordan,  in  the  tribe  of  Gad. 


188  2   SAMUEL   XIX.,   XX.  b.  c.  1022. 

others  was  Shirnei,  who  had  cursed  David  at  Bahurim, 
but  who  now  prayed  for  forgiveness,  and  was  pardoned  in 
spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  Abishai.  Ziba  also  came 
with  his  fifteen  sons  and  twenty  servants,  and  Mephibo- 
sheth,  who  testified  his  own  loyalty  and  complained  of  the 
treachery  of  his  servant ;  and  David  now  divided  between 
the  two  the  possessions  which  he  had  formerly  given  to 
Mephibosheth  and  afterward  transferred  to  Ziba.  Bar- 
zillai  the  Gileadite  also  came  to  congratulate  David,  for 
whom  he  had  provided  provisions  at  Mahanaim.  He  was 
eighty  years  old,  and  the  king  blessed  and  kissed  him, 
and,  as  he  declined  going  farther  on  account  of  his  age, 
David  took  his  son  Chimham  and  rewarded  him  as  he 
would  have  done  his  father.  2  Sam.  xix.  1-40. 

344.  Dissensions  between  Juclah  and  Israel ;  He- 
volt  of  Israel  under  Sheha,  1022. — When  David 
reached  his  palace  he  imprisoned  the  ten  concubines 
whom  Absalom  had  abused,  and  condemned  them  to  per- 
petual widowhood.  Meantime,  the  kingdom  was  shaken 
by  a  fierce  dispute  which  ended  in  a  revolt.  The  Israel- 
ites complained  that  the  men  of  Judah  had  not  consulted 
them  in  bringing  back  David ;  to  which  Judah  replied  at 
first  with  sarcastic  taunts,  and  afterward  with  fierce  re- 
crimination. Whilst  the  quarrel  was  at  its  height,  Sheba, 
a  Benjamite,  blew  a  trumpet  and  cried  in  the  language 
of  rebellion,  "  We  have  no  part  in  David,  nor  inheritance 
in  the  son  of  Jesse:  to  your  tents,  O  Israel!"  David 
immediately  ordered  Amasa,  his  new  commander-in-chief, 
to  assemble  the  warriors  of  Judah  within  three  days  to 
put  down  the  revolt ;  but  Amasa  did  not  return  at  the 
appointed  time,  and  David,  getting  alarmed,  sent  Abi- 
shai, brother  of  Joab,  to  seize  Sheba  before  he  could  take 
any  fenced  cities.  2  Sam.  xix.  41-43  ;  xx.  1-6. 

345.  Amasa  and  Sheba  slain,  1022. — Abishai  in- 
stantly marched  against  the  rebels  with  Joab's  men  and 
the  Cherethites  and  Pelethites  (see  note  to  sect.  338) ;  but 
at  Gibeon  he  overtook  Amasa,  and  the  latter  was  then 
treacherously  assassinated  by  Joab  for  having  superseded 
him  in  the  command  of  the  army.  All  the  people  now 
followed  Joab,  who  with  his  accustomed  energy  marched 
through  all  the  tribes  until  he  came  to  Abel  of  Beth- 
maachah,  where  Sheba  was  abiding;  and  when  he  had 


B.  c.  1022-lOir.  2   SAMUEL   XX.-XXIII.  189 

cast  up  a  bank  and  battered  the  wall,  a  wise  woman  saved 
the  city  by  persuading  the  inhabitants  to  cut  off  the  head 
of  Sheba  and  send  it  to  Joab.  2  Sam.  xx.  6-20. 

346.  Famine  for  Tiiree  years ,  1022-1019  ;  Atone- 
inentfor  SauVs  Slaughter  of  the  Gibeonites,  1019. — 
Scarcely  had  peace  been  established  when  the  land  was 
visited  by  a  three  years'  famine,  and  David  learnt  from 
God  that  it  was  caused  by  the  previous  slaughter  of  the 
Gibeonites  by  Saul.  These  Gibeonites  were  a  remnant  of 
the  Amorites,  but  had  artfully  obtained  an  alliance  with 
the  Hebrews  in  the  time  of  Joshua  (see  sect.  258) ;  and 
many  of  the  present  race  had  been  slain  by  Saul  in  his 
zeal  against  the  enemies  of  Israel.  David  asked  the  Gib- 
eonites what  atonement  they  required,  upon  which  they 
refused  a  blood-fine  of  silver  or  gold,  but  demanded 
that  seven  of  Saul's  remaining  sons  should  be  delivered 
up  to  them  for  execution.  David  then  spared  Mephi- 
bosheth,  but  gave  them  the  two  sons  of  Eizpah,  Saul's 
concubine,  and  the  five  sons  of  Merab,  Saul's  eldest 
daughter,  who  had  been  promised  to  David,  but  given  to 
Adriel.  The  Gibeonites  hung  the  victims  on  a  hill,  but 
Eizpah  clothed  herself  in  sackcloth  and  guarded  their 
bodies.  David  then  fetched  the  bones  of  Saul  and  Jon- 
athan from  the  Jabesh-gileadites,  who  had  carried  them 
ofi"  from  the  walls  of  Beth-shan,  where  they  had  been  ex- 
posed by  the  Philistines  as  victorious  trophies  (sect.  321). 
They  were  now  buried  by  David  in  the  sepulchre  of  Kish, 
father  of  Saul,  in  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  2  Sam.  xxi.  1-14. 

347.  David's  last  Expedition  against  the  Philis- 
tines, 1018, — In  B.  c.  1018  the  Philistines  again  de- 
clared war,  and  David  marched  against  them,  but  it  was 
his  last  expedition.  During  the  fight  the  aged  monarch 
was  attacked  by  Ishbi-benob,  a  gigantic  Philistine,  and 
would  have  fallen  but  for  the  aid  of  Abishai,  who  slew 
the  formidable  enemy ;  and  the  army  then  declared  that 
the  light  of  Israel  should  no  more  be  risked  in  battle. 
The  war  was  concluded  after  three  other  Philistine  giants 
of  the  family  of  Goliath  had  been  slain  by  three  heroes 
of  Israel.  2  Sam.  xxi.  15-22 ;  xxii. ;  xxiii. 

348.  Nimihering  of  the  People,  and  70,000  slain 
by  Pestilence,  1017* — In  b.  c.  1017,  David,  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  divine  command  and  the  remonstrances  of 


190  2   SAMUEL   XXIV.-l   KINGS   I.  b.  c.  1051. 

Joab,  ordered  the  latter  to  number  the  people,  upon  which 
there  was  found  to  be  800,000  fighting  men  of  Israel  and 
500,000  of  Judah.  Scarcely  had  David  learnt  the  result 
when  he  repented  of  the  crime,  and  God  sent  the  proph- 
et Gad  to  offer  him  the  choice  of  three  punishments — 
viz.  three  years'  famine,  three  months'  destruction  from 
the  enemy,  or  three  days'  pestilence.  David  chose  the 
latter,  and  70,000  people  were  slain  by  a  plague,  but  Je- 
rusalem was  saved,  and  the  Lord  stayed  the  hand  of  the 
destroying  angel  by  the  threshing-floor  of  Araunah  the 
Jebusite  on  the  summit  of  Moriah.  David  immediately 
bought  the  threshing-floor  and  oxen  for  fifty  silver  she- 
kels [22f  oz.  =  £5  13s.  8(i.]*,  and,  erecting  an  altar  on  the 
spot,  he  showed  his  gratitude  in  burnt-offerings  and  peace- 
offerings  to  Jehovah.  2  Sam.  xxiv. ;  1  Chron.  xxi. 

349.  Mevolt  of  Adonijah,  1015;  Solomon  de^ 
dared  Successor. — David  was  now  extremely  old,  and 
required  the  attendance  of  a  Shunammite  virgin  named 
Abishag.  Adonijah,  son  of  David  by  Haggith,  seeing 
the  monarch's  decrepitude,  and  having  conferred  with 
Joab  the  commander-in-chief  and  Abiathar  the  high 
priest,  chose  this  moment  for  declaring  himself  king  in 
opposition  to  Solomon,  whom  David  had  appointed  to  be 
his  successor.  Nathan  immediately  brought  the  news  to 
Bathsheba,  and  advised  her  to  carry  it  to  David,  and  he 
would  follow  and  confirm  it.  Bathsheba  then  entered  the 
king's  presence,  and  whilst  telling  him  of  the  rebellion 
Nathan  went  into  the  royal  chamber  and  requested  to 
know  whom  he  had  appointed  to  be  his  successor.  David 
signified  before  them  both  his  desire  that  Solomon  should 
reign  after  him,  and  ordered  Nathan,  Zadok,  and  Benaiah 
to  proclaim  him  king.  Solomon  was  accordingly  anoint- 
ed ;  the  trumpet  was  blown  and  the  people  cried,  "  God 
save  King  Solomon!"  and  the  tidings  was  carried  to 
Adonijah  whilst  feasting  his  adherents.  All  the  guests 
were  struck  with  a  panic,  and  Adonijah  fled  to  the  horns 
of  the  altar,  but  being  reassured  by  Solomon,  he  gave 
himself  up  and  was  j^ardoned.  1  Kings  i. 

*  In  1  Chron.  xxi.  25  it  is  said  that  David  gave  Araunah  six  hundred 
shekels  of  gold.  It  is  therefore  supposed  that  subsequently,  when 
David  knew  that  this  spot  Avas  chosen  as  a  site  for  the  temple,  he  made 
Araunah  a  further  remuneration. 


B.  c.  1015.  1   KINGS   II.  191 

350.  Death  of  Dctvid,  1015,— T\\q  dying  hour  of 
the  old  king  soon  arrived,  and  his  last  moments  appear 
to  have  been  employed  in  counselling  his  son  and  succes- 
sor. He  strictly  charged  him  to  walk  in  accordance  with 
the  laws  of  God,  and  to  build  the  temple  to  Jehovah ; 
and  he  warned  him  to  punish  the  crimes  of  Joab  and 
Shimei,  but  to  show  kindness  to  the  family  of  Barzillai 
the  Gileadite.  So  David  slept  with  his  fathers,  and  was 
buried  in  the  City  of  David,  B.  c.  1015.  1  Kings  ii.  1-11  ; 
1  Chron.  xxii. ;  xxviii. ;  xxix. 

351.  Character  of  David, — As  a  man  David  was  a 
true  Israelite,  and  as  a  king  he  was  a  faithful  vassal  of 
Jehovah.  The  piety,  courage,  and  humility  of  his  youth 
prepared  him  for  that  severe  discipline  of  body  and  mind 
which  he  underwent  in  his  persecuted  wanderings ;  and 
whilst  his  genius  as  a  king  drew  around  him  the  great 
and  distinguished  spirits  of  his  age,  it  led  him  to  deal 
wisely  and  cautiously  with  the  crafty  and  ambitious.  He 
governed  as  the  vice-regent  of  Jehovah,  and  though  in 
two  notable  instances  he  fell  into  grievous  sin  and  incur- 
red the  just  punishment  of  God,  yet  his  humble  confes- 
sion and  sincere  repentance  are  held  out  as  a  warning  to 
all  ftiture  generations.  By  his  strict  adherence  to  duty 
and  confidence  in  God  he  set  a  worthy  example  to  his 
successors  ;  and,  to  crown  all,  he  was  an  emiuent  type  of 
that  glorious  Messiah  who  was  to  be  born  of  his  lineage 
and  sit  upon  his  throne  for  ever. 

David  was  an  affectionate  friend,  a  generous  enemy,  a 
brave  warrior,  and  a  wise  monarch.  The  fame  of  his 
youthful  harp  reached  the  ears  of  the  court,  and  his  mel- 
odies charmed  the  evil  spirit  from  Saul,  whilst  the  glow- 
ing poetry,  lofty  imagery,  and  fervent  piety  of  his  Psalms 
have  elevated  the  devotions  of  all  Jews  and  Christians 
for  3000  years,  and  earned  for  the  glorious  inspiration  of 
their  author  a  universal  and  undying  popularity. 

SOLOMON,  B.  c.  1015-975  =  40  yeaks. 
Prophet — A  hijah. 

352.  Extent  of  the  Kingdom, — The  reign  of  SolomoD 
is  the  most  splendid  period  of  Hebrew  history.  His  king- 
dom was  the  ruling  monarchy  in  Western  Asia,  and  ex« 


192  1    KINGS   II.  B.C.  1014-1011. 

tended  from  the  Euphrates  to  the  Mediterranean  and 
from  Phoenicia  to  the  Ked  Sea ;  whilst  the  warlike  and 
civilized  Philistines,  the  Edomites,  Moabites,  and  Am- 
monites, the  nomad  Arabians  of  the  desert,  and  the 
Syrians  of  Damascus,  were  alike  tributary  to  the  suc- 
cessor of  David.   1  Kings  iv.  20,  21. 

353.  Joah  and  Adonijah  slain,  and  Ahiathar 
banished,  1014b;  Shiniei  slain,  1011. — Solomon  as- 
cended the  throne  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  his  first 
acts  were  in  accordance  with  the  dying  advice  of  his 
father.  His  eldest  brother,  Adonijah,  had  persuaded 
Bathsheba  to  ask  from  Solomon  permission  to  marry 
Abishag,  the  attendant  of  David ;  but  the  king  was  so 
enraged  at  the  deep  scheme  which  dictated  this  request 
that  he  slew  Adonijah  by  the  hand  of  Benaiah  and  pun- 
ished his  tAvo  principal  adherents.  Abiathar,  in  remem- 
brance of  former  services  to  David,  was  only  banished  to 
Anathoth,  but  Joab,  who,  with  conscious  guilt,  had  fled 
to  the  horns  of  the  altar,  met  with  the  fate  of  Adonijah. 
1  Kings  ii.  11-35. 

354.  Character  of  Joah, — The  character  of  Joab  de- 
mands a  passing  notice.  He  was  the  son  of  Zeruiah,  Da- 
vid's sister,  and  was  made  commander-in-chief  because  he 
had  been  the  first  to  mount  the  walls  of  Jebus  and  beat 
off  the  Jebusites.  (See  sect.  326.)  The  success  of  his 
arms  and  energy  of  his  movements  soon  proved  that  he 
possessed  military  talents  of  the  highest  order,  but  he  was 
cruel  and  unscrupulous  in  the  attainment  of  his  ends.  He 
had  avenged  the  death  of  his  brother  Asahel  by  the  assas- 
sination of  Abner  and  gratified  his  jealousy  by  the  slaugh- 
ter of  Amasa.  He  had  mortally  offended  the  old  monarch 
by  compassing  the  death  of  Absalom,  and  .aroused  the 
fears  of  his  successor  by  joining  in  the  rebellion  of  Adon- 
ijah ;  and  the  genius  of  the  commander  would  not  atone 
for  the  treacheries  of  the  assassin,  nor  a  long  service  for 
a  base  desertion. 

355.  Shimei  slain,  1011, — Shimei,  another  suspicious 
character,  met  with  a  similar  fate.  He  had  not  followed 
Adonijah,  but  had  cursed  David  at  Bahurim,  and  at  first 
was  suffered  to  live  in  peace  upon  promising  not  to  leave 
Jerusalem.  Three  years  afterward  two  of  his  servants 
fled   to   Achish,   and   he   followed   them  to   Gath   and 


B.C.  1014.  1»  KINGS   IL,   III.  193 

brought  them  back,  upon  which  Solomon  reproached 
him  with  his  guilt,  and  he  fell  by  the  hand  of  Benaiah. 
1  Kings  ii.  36-46. 

356.  Solomon's  3IarHage  tvlth  JPIiarcioJi's  Daugh- 
ter,  1014  ;  his  Singular  Wisdom, — In  B.  c.  1014,  Sol- 
omon married  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  and  brought  her 
to  the  city  of  David  until  he  should  have  built  a  palace 
for  himself,  a  temple  for  the  Lord,  and  a  wall  around  Je- 
rusalem. He  loved  the  Lord  and  Avalked  in  the  statutes 
(tf  his  father,  but  the  people,  having  no  temple,  sacrificed 
in  high  places,  of  which  Gibeon  was  the  chief  On  one 
occasion,  whilst  staying  at  this  place,  the  Lord  appeared 
to  Solomon  at  night  in  a  dream  and  bade  him  ask  what 
most  he  desired.  Solomon  begged  for  an  understanding 
heart,  when  Jehovah  not  only  granted  his  prayer,  but 
promised  him  riches  and  honor  above  all  contemporary 
kings,  together  with  length  of  days,  if  he  kept  the  stat- 
utes of  the  God  of  his  fathers.  The  wisdom  of  the  young 
king  soon  excited  the  astonishment  and  admiration  of  the 
whole  nation.  Two  mothers,  living  alone  in  one  house, 
came  before  him.  One  complained  that  the  other,  hav- 
ing had  her  child  die  in  the  night,  had  exchanged  its 
corpse  for  the  living  child  of  the  complainant.  The 
other  denied  the  charge,  and  no  witnesses  could  be 
brought  to  prove  the  identity  of  the  infants.  Solomon 
elicited  the  truth  by  preparing  to  divide  the  living  child, 
when  the  false  mother  discovered  herself  by  the  uncon- 
cern she  showed  for  its  life,  whilst  the  real  parent  begged 
that  it  might  be  preserved,  even  if  given  up  to  the  other. 
1  Kings  iii. ;  2  Chron.  i.  1-12. 

357.  Commerce  of  Solomon, — The  profoundest  peace 
was  soon  established  throughout  the  dominions  of  Solomon. 
5very  man  dwelt  in  safety  under  his  own  vine  and  his 
own  fig  tree  from  Dan  to  Beer-sheba.  An  alliance  with 
Egypt  and  Phoenicia  enabled  the  wisest  king  to  carry  on 
an  extensive  commerce  by  land  and  sea.  He  built  the 
magnificent  city  of  Tadmor,*  afterward  called  Palmyra, 
in  Syria,  on  an  oasis  in  the  desert,  for  the  convenience  of 
caravans  which  traded  with  Babylon.     He  formed  a  navy, 

*2  Chron.  viii.  4;  Josephi,  Ajit.  Jud.  VIII.  vi.;  Heeren's  Asiatic 
Researches,  ii.  393;  Wood's  Palmyra  and  Baalbec,  etc. 

11  N 


194  1   KINGS   IV.,  V.  B.  c.  1012-992. 

which  was  partly  manned  by  Phcenician  sailors,  and  his 
ships  traversed  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Pillars  of  Her- 
cules, or  sailed  from  Elath  and  Eziou-geber,  on  the  Red 
Sea,  to  the  golden  regions  of  the  far  East.  Horses,  char- 
riots,  and  linen  yarn  were  brought  from  Egypt ;  gold  and 
silver,  ivory,  apes,  and  peacocks  from  Tarshish,  or  Tar- 
tessus,  on  the  southern  coast  of  Spain ;  gold,  jewels,  and 
spices  from  the  mysterious  realms  of  Ophir  on  the  coast 
of  Arabia,  Eastern  Africa,  or  the  southern  peninsula  of 
India ;  and  cedars  and  firs  were  floated  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean by  the  Phcenician  king,  Hiram,  and  carried  from 
the  heights  of  Lebanon  to  the  metropolis  of  Palestine. 
Whilst  David  had  vanquished  the  surrounding  monarchs, 
Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  was  allied  to  him  by  a  close  friend- 
ship, which  was  now  continued  to  Solomon  to  their  mu- 
tual advantage.  The  mountainous  territory  of  the  Phoeni- 
cians was  but  little  adapted  for  agriculture,  and  Palestine 
became  their  granary.  The  corn  of  Judaea,  which  excelled 
that  of  Egypt ;  the  vine,  which  was  indigenous  to  the  soil ; 
the  oil,  wdiich  is  superior  to  that  of  Provence ;  the  balm, 
which  was  collected  in  the  lands  round  Lake  Gennesa- 
reth,  and  is  still  famous  under  the  name  of  balsam  of 
Mecca, — were  all  exchanged  by  Solomon  for  the  luxuri- 
ous riches  of  distant  climes.*  1  Kings  iv. ;  v. ;  ix.  26-28 ; 
X.  22-29 ;  2  Chron.  i.  13-17. 

358.  JBailding  of  the  Te^nple  and  Palaces,  1012- 
992, — In  B.  c.  1012,  after  reigning  three  years,  Solomon 
commenced  building  his  celebrated  temple ;  after  which 
he  erected  a  palace  for  himself,  another  of  cedar  in  the 
forest  of  Lebanon,  and  a  third  for  the  daughter  of  Pha- 
raoh. The  whole  were  completed  in  twenty  years;  of 
this  period,  between  three  and  four  years  were  spent  in 
collecting  materials  for  the  temple,  and  seven  years  and 
six  months  were  employed  in  raising  and  decorating  it. 
Upon  this  sacred  structure  the  boundless  genius  of  a  mag- 
nificent king  lavished  all  that  wealth  could  purchase  or  art 
could  execute ;  70,000  proselytes,  descendants  of  the  Ca- 
naanites,  w^re  employed  in  carrying  burdens ;  80,000  in 
cutting  stone  out  of  the  quarries ;  3600  as  overseers ;  to- 

■•:■  Ileercn's  Asiatic  liesearcJiea,  i.  362. 


B.  c.  1005.  1   KINGS   YL,  VII.  195 

gether  with  30,000  Israelites  in  the  quarries  of  Libaniis. 
1  Kings  vi. ;  vii. ;  2  Chron.  ii. 

359.  Descrijytion  of  the  TaniHe, — The  temple  was 
built  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Moriah,  near  Mount  Zion, 
in  Jerusalem,  where  Abraham  had  prepared  to  offer  Isaac, 
and  where  the  angel  had  appeared  to  David  when  the 
pestilence  was  stayed  over  the  threshing-floor  of  Arau- 
nah.  The  site  was  enlarged  by  the  erection  of  a  strong 
wall  of  square  stone  around  the  mountain,  with  the  in- 
tervening space  filled  up  with  earth.  Another  wall, 
with  an  interior  colonnade,  surrounded  the  whole  struc- 
ture, thus  forming  two  courts ;  the  inner  one  being  called 
the  court  of  the  temple,  and  containing  the  sacred  furni- 
ture and  vestments  of  the  priests  and  Levites ;  whilst  in 
the  outer  one  were  erected  the  magazines  for  the  wine, 
corn,  oil,  and  wood  used  in  the  divine  service.  The  tem- 
ple itself  is  supposed  to  have  been  70  cubits  [128  feet] 
long,  20  cubits  [36  feet]  broad,  and  30  cubits  [54  feet] 
high,  with  a  portico  or  porch  20  cubits  [36  feet]  broad 
like  the  main  building,  but  120  cubits  [216  feet]  high. 
The  Holy  Place  was  40  cubits  [72  feet]  long,  and  the 
Holy  of  Holies  20  cubits  [36  feet].  The  interior  edifice 
was  built  upon  the  plan  of  the  tabernacle,  but  of  much 
larger  dimensions.  The  internal  decorations  are  diflScult 
to  comprehend,  and  the  reader  of  the  sacred  volume  is 
bewildered  and  astonished  by  elaborate  descriptions  of 
cedar  walls  and  golden  roofs  richly  carved  with  flowers 
and  cherubim ;  carved  floors  overlaid  with  gold ;  golden 
altar,  shew-bread  table,  and  cherubim ;  golden  doors, 
chains,  candlesticks,  censers,  basins,  lamps,  tongs,  and 
hinges ;  veils  of  blue,  purple,  and  crimson ;  brazen  seas, 
lavers,  wheels,  oxen,  and  lions ;  brazen  pillars  thirty-two 
feet  high  and  twenty-one  feet  round,  and  with  chapiters 
or  capitals  nine  feet  higher,  all  richly  carved  with  net- 
work, chain-work,  pomegranates,  and  lilies;  and  such 
was  the  rich  jDroftision  of  metal  that  its  weight  was 
never  ascertained.   1  Kings  vi.;  vii.;  2  Chron.  ii.-iv. 

360.  Dedication,  1005, — In  the  seventh  month  of 
the  tenth  year  of  the  reign  the  temple  was  solemnly  ded- 
icated to  Jehovah.  The  priests,  Levites,  and  singers  were 
all  arrayed  in  their  sacred  vestments ;  the  trumpets  and 
cymbals  were  sounded;  and  the  sacred  ark,  containing 


196  1   KINGS  VIII.,  IX.  B.  c.  1005. 

the  tables  of  stone  which  Moses  had  placed  there  at 
Horeb,  was  carried  by  the  priests  and  set  beneath  the 
cherubim.  Then  the  glory  of  the  Lord  filled  the  house 
of  the  Lord,  and  the  youthful  king  stood  before  the  altar 
in  the  presence  of  all  Israel,  and  offered  up  an  affecting 
and  appropriate  supplication  to  the  God  of  Abraham. 
The  service  was  concluded  with  sacrifices  and  rejoicings ; 
and,  the  Lord  appeared  to  Solomon  a  second  time  at 
Gibeon,  and  promised  to  protect  his  chosen  people  as 
long  as  they  walked  in  his  statutes,  but  to  reject  them 
utterly  should  they  forsake  his  way.*  1  Kings  viii. ; 
ix.  1-25;  2  Chron.  v.-vii. 

*  Subsequent  History  of  the  Temple,  B.  C.  1005-588. — After  the  conse- 
cration or  dedication  of  Solomon's  temple  it  underwent  many  revo- 
lutions. 

B.  c.  972.  Only  thirty-three  years  after  its  dedication  it  was  plundered 
by  Shishak,  king  of  Egypt. 

B.  c.  856.  Joash,  king  of  Judah,  collected  money  for  repairing  it,  and 
the  work  was  commenced  in  earnest. 

B.  c.  740.  Ahaz,  king  of  Judah,  robbed  it  of  its  gold  and  treasures  to 
bribe  Tiglath-pileser,  king  of  Assyria,  to  attack  the  kings  of  Israel  and 
Syria.  He  afterward  took  away  the  brazen  altar  and  replaced  it  by  a 
copy  of  one  he  had  seen  at  Damascus,  and  subsequently  pillaged  it, 
broke  the  sacred  vessels,  and  shut  it  up. 

B.  c.  726.  Hezekiah,  son  of  Ahaz,  reojiened  the  temple,  and  purified 
and  repaired  it,  but  in  B.  c.  713  he  was  forced  to  take  its  riches  and 
bribe  Sennacherib  to  leave  his  dominions. 

B.  c.  698.  Manasseh,  son  of  Hezekiah,  set  up  altars  and  idols  in  the 
courts  of  the  temple,  but  afterward  repented  and  removed  them. 

B.  c.  624.  Josiah  repaired  the  temple  and  replaced  the  priests. 

B.  c.  606.  Nebuchadnezzar  plundered  it  in  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim. 

B.  c.  599.  Nebuchadnezzar  carried  away  others  of  its  vessels  in  the 
reign  of  Jehoiachin  or  Jeconiah. 

B.  c.  588.  Nebuchadnezzar  entirely  destroyed  it  in  the  eleventh  year 
of  Zedekiah's  reign. 

The  Second  Temple,  B.  C.  535. — Zerubbabel,  the  grandson  of  King 
Jehoiachin,  and  Jeshua,  grandson  of  Seraiah,  the  high  priest,  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  second  temple  in  B.  c.  635,  but  were  impeded  in  the 
building  by  the  machinations  of  the  Samaritans,  and  it  was  not  com- 
pleted until  the  reign  of  Darius  Hystaspis,  b.  c.  515.  (See  sect.  580.) 
It  was  twice  the  size  of  Solomon's  temple,  both  in  breadth  and  height, 
but  it  wanted  five  things — viz.  1.  The  ark  and  mercy-seat.  2.  The  vis- 
ible glory  of  the  Shechinah  or  divine  presence.  3.  The  holy  fire  of  the 
altar.  4.  The  Urim  and  Thummim  (sect.  162).  5.  The  spirit  of  proph- 
ecy. This  temple  was  plundered  and  profaned  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes, 
B.  c.  170,  and  the  idol  of  Jupiter  Olympius  was  set  up  near  the  altar, 
and  the  sacrifices  discontinued  for  three  years,  when  it  was  restored  by 
Judas  Maccabeus.  1  Mace.  iv.  52. 

Temple  of  Herod,  B.  C.  17  to  A.  D.  70. — Herod,  having  been  for  two 
years  preparing  materials  for  building  a  new  temple,  pulled  down  the 


Tj.  c.  1005.  1   KINGS   X.  197 

361.  Glory  of  Solomon. — The  other  works  of  Solo- 
mon display  the  same  munificent  splendor  as  his  temple. 
The  three  hundred  targets  and  three  hundred  shields  of 
beaten  gold ;  an  ivory  throne  overlaid  with  gold,  with  a 
golden  footstool  and  twelve  golden  lions  ;  the  golden  ves- 
sels of  his  household;  12,000  cavalry  and  40,000  stalls 
for  chariot-horses  ;  the  administration  of  the  government 
and  the  service  of  the  court, — all  excited  as  much  wonder 
and  applause  as  his  own  3000  proverbs  and  1005  songs, 
his  knoAvledge  of  trees  from  the  cedar  to  the  hyssop,  of 
beasts,  birds,  fishes,  and  creeping  things.  Many  royal 
strangers  weie  attracted  to  Jerusalem  by  the  fame  of 
Solomon ;  and  the  queen  of  Sheba  is  particularly  men- 
tioned as  having  been  struck  alike  with  astonishment  and 
admiration  at  the  grandeur  of  his  works  and  the  wisdom 
of  his  words.  1  Kings  x. ;  2  Chron.  ix. 

362.  Kingdofti  disturbed  by  Idolatry  and  Faction. 
— The  latter  part  of  Solomon's  reign  was  disgraced  by 
voluptuousness  and  stained  by  idolatry.  The  royal  harem 
of  seven  hundred  wives  and  three  hundred  concubines  in- 
cluded many  women  from  the  surrounding  countries,  who 
tempted  the  king  to  worship  their  national  deities ;  and 
the  monarch  who  had  built  so  glorious  a  temple  to  Je- 
hovah on  Mount  Moriah  now  erected  high  places  for 
Chemosh,  Molech,  and  Ashtoreth  on  the  Mount  of  Olives. 
Then  the  Lord  threatened  to  rend  away  the  kingdom  of 
Israel  from  the  son  of  Solomon,  leaving,  however,  one 
tribe  for  the  sake  of  David  and  Jerusalem.  The  remain- 
old  one  in  b.  c.  17,  and  began  erecting  a  new  one  about  forty-six  years 
before  the  first  passover  of  Christ's  personal  ministry.  John  ii.  20. 
Upon  this  work  1000  wagons  and  10,000  artificers  were  engaged  under 
the  superintendence  of  1000  priests.  In  nine  and  a  half  years  the 
temple  was  fit  for  divine  service,  but  additions  continued  to  be  male 
until  A.  D.  64.  It  was  larger  than  the  others,  and  the  sanctuary,  or 
temple  strictly  so  called,  was  constructed  of  white  marble,  and,  with  the 
altar,  was  placed  in  a  quadrangular  area,  called  "  The  Court  of  the 
Priests,"  which  was  surrounded  by  three  courts,  each  one  of  which  was 
situated  above  the  other.  The  inner  court  was  called  "  The  Court  of  the 
Israelites,"  the  middle  one,  "  The  Court  of  the  Israelite  Women,"  and  the 
outer  one,  "  The  Court  of  the  Gentiles."  This  temple  was  at  length 
completely  demolished  by  Titus,  A,  d.  70,  on  the  same  day  of  the  same 
month  on  which  Solomon's  temple  had  been  destroyed.  It  was  the 
presence  of  Christ  in  the  second  temple  that  fulfilled  the  pi-ophecy  of 
Haggai :  "  The  glory  of  this  latter  house  shall  be  greater  than  of  the 
former."  Hag.  ii.  9. 


198  1   KINGS   XL  B.  c.  975. 

der  of  the  reign  was  darkened  by  intestine  war.  Hadad, 
a  prince  of  Edom,  who  had  fled  to  Egypt  on  the  conquest 
of  his  country  by  David,  and  married  the  sister  of  Pha- 
raoh's queen,  now  returned  to  Idumsea.  Eezon,  son  of 
Eliadah,  a  servant  of  Hadadezer,  king  of  Zobah  (sect. 
329),  collected  a  band  of  men,  seized  Damascus,  and 
founded  a  kingdom  which  soon  became  formidable  (sect. 
493,  note) ;  whilst  Jeroboam,  son  of  Nebat,  an  Ephrath- 
ite,  who  for  his  bold  and  enterprising  conduct  had  been 
commissioned  by  Solomon  to  levy  the  taxes  of  Ephraim 
and  Manasseh,  was  promised  by  Ahijah,  the  Shilonite 
prophet,  the  government  of  ten  tribes,  together  with  the 
further  encouragement  that  if  he  kept  the  commandments 
and  statutes  as  David  had  done,  the  Lord  would  be  with 
him  and  build  him  a  house  equally  sure.  Solomon  then 
sought  to  slay  Jeroboam,  who,  however,  escaped  to  Egypt, 
where  he  was  protected  by  Shishak,  until  the  death  of  Sol- 
omon released  him  from  exile.  1  Kings  xi. ;  2  Chron.  ix.  31. 

363.  Death  and  Character  of  Solomon,  975. — 
Solomon  died  b.  c.  975.  His  character,  unlike  that  of  his 
father  David,  was  peaceful,  learned,  and  luxurious. 
Called  to  the  throne  while  yet  a  youth,  he  became  deeply 
sensible  of  his  great  responsibilities,  and  sought  for  wis- 
dom under  divine  encouragement.  He  was  early  cele- 
brated for  decision  and  righteous  judgment,  and  his  ex- 
tensive acquaintance  with  natural  history  and  physical 
science  was  the  wonder  of  his  age.  He  next  prepared 
himself  to  fulfil  the  pious  designs  of  his  father  in  erecting 
a  temple  to  Jehovah ;  and  whatever  subsequent  ages  may 
boast  of  the  sublime  and  magnificent,  this  monument  of 
art  and  piety  remains  unrivalled,  and  still  flourishes  in 
the  pages  of  Holy  Writ.  His  luxuries  and  sinful  com- 
pliance in  countenancing  idolatrous  practices  will  ever 
remain  a  stain  on  his  memory ;  but  his  wisdom,  learning, 
and  taste  were  of  the  highest  order,  while  his  mainte- 
nance of  the  laws  and  patronage  of  useful  arts  secured  the 
prosperity  of  his  reign  and  formed  the  golden  period  of 
Jewish  history. 

REHOBOAM. 

364.  Mevolt  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  975. — Rehoboam, 
son  of  Solomon  by  Naamah  an  Ammonitess,  succeeded 


B.  c.  975. 


1   KINGS   XII.  199 


his  father  at  the  age  of  forty-one.  He  convened  a  general 
meeting  of  all  the  elders  of  Israel  (sect.  133,  134)  at 
Shechem,  that  he  might  be  formally  invested  with  the 
royal  dignity.  But  Jeroboam  had  now  returned  from 
Egypt,  and  through  him  the  assembly  stipulated  that  the 
new  king  should  remit  the  excessive  taxation  which  had 
been  exacted  by  Solomon.  Kehoboam  took  three  days  to 
consider,  and  then,  forsaking  the  old  counsellors  of  his 
father  and  foUomng  young  men's  advice,  he  said  to  his 
subjects,  "  My  father  made  your  yoke  heavy,  and  I  will 
add  to  your  yoke;  my  father  also  chastised  you  with 
whips,  but  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions."  The  ten 
tribes  of  Israel  then  revolted  from  Judah,  as  God  had 
predicted,  stoned  Adoram,  who  was  over  the  tribute, 
forced  Rehoboam  to  fly  to  Jerusalem,  and  made  Jeroboam 
king.  1  Kings  xii.  1-20 ;  2  Chron.  x. 

§  Prefatory  Review  of  the  History  of  the  Divided 
Monarchies. 

365.  Contracted  Frontiers. — The  kingdom  estab- 
lished by  David  was  now  contracted  as  well  as  divided, 
and  the  Euphrates  and  desert  ceased  to  be  its  frontiers. 
Israel  lost  her  Syrian  possessions  by  the  rise  of  Rezon  in 
Damascus ;  the  Ammonites  threw  off  her  yoke,  and_  the 
Moabites  alone  continued  tributary.  Judah  still  retained 
a  supremacy  over  the  Philistines,  and  received  a  homage, 
which  was,  however,  merely  nominal,  from  the  Edomites ; 
but  being  cut  off  from  the  Tyrians  and  maritime  Israel- 
ites, and  having  lost  the  superfluous  produce  arising  from 
the  Israelite  territory,  her  kings  must  have  found^  the 
ports  of  Solomon  on  the  Red  Sea  a  barren  possession. 

366.  Reciprocal  Relations  of  the  Two  3Ionarchies, 
— Judah  was  the  richest  of  the  two  kingdoms,  from  the 
possession  of  Jerusalem  and  the  treasures  of  Solomon. 
She  also  enjoyed  a  compact  dominion  and  a  completeness 
of  organization  as  the  old  centre  of  government ;  and 
Rehoboam,  as  the  grandson  of  David,  must  have  been 
more  secure  of  the  loyalty  of  the  tribes  which  remained 
faithful  to  his  rule.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  Israel  pos- 
sessed four  times  the  territory  of  Judah  and  a  much 
larger  population.     Thus  the  power  of  the  two  states  was 


200  1   KINGS. 


B.  c.  975. 


nearly  balanced,  and  consequently  the  struggle  between 
them  was  the  more  obstinate ;  and  this  continued  rivalry 
led  to  alliances  with  Syria,  Egypt,  and  Assyria  which 
ultimately  conduced  to  the  downfall  of  the  two  nations. 

367.  Causes  tvJiicJi  led  to  their  Destruction,— Fvoiw 
the  time  of  Moses,  Jehovah  had  always  governed  his  peo- 
ple according  to  the  promises  and  threatenings  which  he 
delivered  from  Mount  Horeb.  If  they  deviated  from 
their  allegiance,  he  brought  them  back  by  suitable  chas- 
tisements ;  and  the  same  course  was  pursued  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  two  kingdoms.  If  the  monarchs  of  both  had 
viewed  the  sundering  of  the  empire  as  a  consequence  of 
Solomon's  idolatry,  and  as  a  warning  to  them  to  govern 
their  subjects  according  to  the  book  of  the  Law,  their 
kingdoms  might  have  enjoyed  uninterrupted  prosperity. 
Even  Jeroboam  had  been  assured  that  if  he  kept  the 
Law  as  David  had  done  his  house  should  be  equally  sure. 
But  the  kings  of  both  states  rebelled  against  Jehovah  and 
worshipped  other  gods,  and  allied  with  their  idolatrous 
neighbors ;  and  after  a  succession  of  prophets  had  re- 
minded both  rulers  and  subjects  of  their  duties  to  Jeho- 
vah, and  threatened  them  with  punishment  in  case  of  dis- 
obedience, there  followed  calamity  after  calamity  to  bring 
the  nation  to  reflection. 

368.  Idolatry  of  Israel, — In  spite  of  the  promise  of 
Jehovah  through  Ahijah  (sect.  362),  Jeroboam  pursued 
a  mere  human  policy,  and  in  order  to  restrain  his  subjects 
from  worshipping  at  Jerusalem  he  set  up  two  golden  calves 
in  his  own  dominions.  His  example  was  but  too  well 
followed  by  his  successors,  and  at  length  Ahab,  after  his 
Phoenician  marriage,  introduced  a  still  viler  idolatry,  with 
all  its  concomitant  vices.  One  after  another  the  reigning 
families  were  removed,  after  their  extermination  had  been 
announced  by  a  prophet,  and  a  successor  appointed.  At 
last,  after  all  milder  punishments  had  proved  fruitless, 
the  kingdom  was  destroyed  and  the  people  carried  into 
the  threatened  captivity. 

369.  Idolatry  of  Jiidah, — In  Judah  the  same  Provi- 
dence was  favorable  or  adverse  to  the  kingdom  according^ 
as  the  people  obeyed  or  transgressed  the  law,  only  the 
royal  family  remained  unchanged,  in  accordance  with  the 
promise  given  to  David.     Though  many  of  her  kings  were 


B.  c.  975-884. 


1  KIXGS. 


201 


rebellious  and  idolatrous,  yet  they  were  always  succeeded 
by  those  of  purer  mind,  who  put  a  stop  to  idolatry,  re- 
established theocracy  in  the  hearts  of  their  subjects,  and 
by  the  aid  of  prophets,  priests,  and  Levites  and  the  ser- 
vices of  the  temple  restored  the  knowledge  and  worship 
of  God.  Judah,  therefore,  though  much  smaller  than 
Israel,  continued  her  national  existence  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  years  longer ;  but  at  last,  as  no  durable  refor- 
mation was  produced,  she  experienced  the  same  fate  as 
her  sister  kingdom. 


II.  History  of  the  Divided  Monarchies  of  Judah  and 
Israel* 


JUDAH. 

Tribes — Judah    and    Benja- 


min, 


Capital— Jernsalem ;  called 
Salem  in  the  time  of  Abraliain, 
Jebus  in  the  time  of  Joshua,  and 
afterward  Jehusaiem  or  Jei-usa- 
lem. 


ISRAEL. 

Tribes— ^sAe?',  Naphtaii,  Ma- 
nasseh,  Zebidun,  Issachar,  Gad, 
Reuben,  Ephraim,  Dan,  and 
Simeon. 

Capital— Sliechem  during  the 
reigns  of  Jeroboam  and  Nadab. 
Baasha  removed  it  to  Tirzah; 
and  Omri,  in  B.  c.  925,  to  Sa- 
maria. 


First  PERiOD^rom  the  Revolt  of  the  Ten  Tribes  until  Jehu  destroyed 
the  dynasty  of  Ahab  in  Israel  and  slew  Ahaziah  in  Judah,  b.  c. 
975-884  =  92  t/mrs. 


Jud  ah — Rehoboam. 

370. 1.  Rehoboam;  975-958. 

— Son  of  Solomon.  Reigned 
seventeen  years.  Prophet — She- 
maiah. 

372.  Not  to  war  a^aiust  Is- 
rael; Fenced  Cities.— Reho- 
boam now  assembled  an  army 
of  180,000  to  recover  Israel,  but 
was  forbidden  the  war  bv  the 


Israel — Jeroboam. 

371.  1.  Jeroboam,  975-954. 

— Son  of  Nebat.  Reigned  twenty- 
two  years.  "Who  made  Israel 
to  sin."  Prophets — Ahijah  the 
Shilonite  and  a  man  of  God  sent 
to  Bethel. 

373.  Fortified  Shechem.— 
Jeroboam  built  and  fortified  She- 
chem in  the  tribe  of  Ephraim, 


*  For  analytical  table  of  the  history  of  the  two  kingdoms  see  pp. 
166-169. 


202 


1   KINGS. 


B.  c.  975-884. 


Judall — Ahijah. 

propliet  Sliemaiah.  He  then 
built  fenced  cities,  and  his  king- 
dom was  strengthened  by  tlie 
priests,  Levites,  and  pious  men 
who  fled  from  the  idokitry  of 
Jeroboam.  1  Kings  xii.  21-24; 
2  Chron.  xi.  1-17. 

375.  Sliisliak's  Invasion, 
972. — Three  years  after  his  ac- 
cession both  the  king  and  the 
people  fell  into  idolatry,  and 
Hhishak,  king  of  Egypt,  ravaged 
Judah  and  plundered  the  tem- 
ple. Eehoboam  and  the  princes 
of  Judah  were  now  rebuked  by 
the  prophet  Shemaiah,  and  hum- 
bled themselves  before  the  Lord. 
1  Kings  xiv.  25-28;  2  Chron. 
xii.  1-12. 

376.  All  the  subsequent  kings  of 
Judah  were  descendants  of  David 
through  Rehohoam,  as  God  had 
'promised. 

378.  2.  Abijah,  or  Abijam, 
958-855. — Son  of  Kehoboam. 
Committed  evil  like  his  father, 
and  liad  fourteen  wives,  by  whom 
lie  had  twenty-two  sons  and  six- 
teen daughters.  Eeigned  three 
vears.  1  Kings  xv.  1-5 ;  2  Chron. 
kiii.  1,  2,  21. 

379.  Defeats  Jeroboam,  957. 
— Abijah  with  400,000  men  op- 
posed Jeroboam  with  800,000* 
on  Mount  Zemaraim,  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Ephraim,  and  whilst  the 
latter  was  plotting  to  hem  him 
in,  Abijah's  people  shouted  and 
the  priests  blew  their  trumpets, 
which  so  terrified  Jeroboam's 
army  that  they  fled,  and  500,000 
of  them  were  killed.  2  Chron. 
xiii.  3,  13-20. 


Israel — Jeroboam. 

which  city  Abimelech  had  de- 
stroyed two  hundred  and  fifty- 
eight  yeai-s  previously  (see  sect. 
385),  and  dwelt  there.  1  Kings 
xii.  20,  25. 

374.  Establishes  Calf-wor- 
sliip  and  Profane  Priesthood. 
— Being  afraid  that  Israel  would 
return  to  the  house  of  David  if 
suffered  to  sacrifice  at  Jerusalem, 
he  set  up  two  golden  calves — one 
in  Bethel,  the  other  in  Dan,  be- 
ing the  extremities  of  his  king- 
dom. He  then  made  priests  of 
the  lowest  of  the  people,  and  or- 
dained an  idolatrous  feast  corre- 
sponding to  the  "Tabernacles," 
and  sacrificed  in  person  at  Beth- 
el. 1  Kings  xii.  26-33. 

377.  Man  of  God  comes  to 
Betliel, — The  Lord  now  sent  a 
man  to  Jeroboam  at  Bethel,  who, 
seeing  him  at  the  altar,  cried, 
"O  altar,  altar!  thus  saith  the 
Lord,  A  child  shall  be  born  to 
the  house  of  David,  Josiah  by 
name,  and  upon  thee  shall  he 
ofier  the  priests  of  the  high  places 
that  burn  incense  upon  thee,  and 
men's  bones  shall  be  burnt  upon 
thee."  Jeroboam  stretched  out 
his  hand  to  seize  the  man,  when 
the  hand  dried  up,  but  was  re- 
stored by  the  messenger's  prayers. 
The  prophecy  was  fulfilled  three 
hundred  and  fifty  years  after- 
ward, in  JosiaNs  reign  (sect.  525). 
Jeroboam  invited  the  man  of 
God  to  his  house,  but  the  latter 
declined,  as  God  had  commanded 
him  neither  to  eat  nor  drink,  nor 
return  the  same  way  he  came. 
An  old  prophet  of  Bethel  then 
followed  the  man  of  God,  and 
said  lie  had  been  ordered  by  an 


•■•  Owing  to  the  mistakes  of  transcribers  in  copying  numerals,  we 
cannot  answer  for  the  correctness  of  the  great  numbers  of  men  which 
are  mentioned  here  and  in  the  sequel. 


B.  c.  975-884. 


1   KINGS. 


203 


Judali — Asa. 


382.  3.  Asa,  955-914.— Son 

of  Abijah.  Keigned  forty-one 
years.  Prophets — Azariah  and 
Hanani. 

384.  Suppresses  Idolatry.— 
Asa  destroyed  the  idols,  groves, 
and  high  places,  and  deposed  his 
mother  [t.  e.  grandmother]  Ma- 
acliah  from  being  queen  for  prac- 
tising idolatry.  He  also  restored 
the  national  worship,  built  fenced 
cities,  and  levied  a  large  army. 
1  Kings  XV.  9-13 ;  2  Cliron.  xiv. 
1-8. 

387.  Defeats  Zerah  the  Ethi- 
opian.— Asa  defeated  Zerah  tlie 
Ethiopian,  who  invaded  Judah 
with  1,000,000  men  and  three 
hundred  chariots.  Encouraged 
by  the  prophet  Azariali,  he  then 
made  fresh  efforts  to  eradicate 


Israel — Nadah,  Baasha. 

angel  to  bring  him  to  his  house. 
This  was  false,  but  the  man 
turned  back,  and  whilst  sitting 
at  table  the  Lord  told  him, 
through  the  mouth  of  the  old 
prophet,  that  for  his  disobedience 
his  corpse  should  not  come  into 
the  sepulchre  of  his  fathei-s.  The 
man  then  returned  home  and 
was  killed  by  a  lion,  but  not  de- 
voured; and  the  old  prophet 
found  his  body  and  buried  it  in  his 
own  tomb.  1  Kings  xiii.  1-32. 

380.  His  son  Abijah  siclc; 
Ahijah's  Propliecy.  —Abijah, 
son  of  Jeroboam,  now  fell  sick, 
and  the  king  sent  his  wife  in 
disguise  to  consult  Abijah  the 
prophet  at  Shiloh.  Abijah  was 
blind,  but  discovered  the  queen, 
and  denounced  God's  judgment 
against  Jeroboam's  whole  family, 
and  foretold  the  immediate  deatli 
of  his  son ;  and  added  that  the 
latter  should  be  the  only  one  of 
the  fomily  that  should  be  buried. 
(See  also  sect.  362.) 

381.  2.  Nadab,  954,  953.— 
Son  of  Jeroboam.  Reigned  two 
years. 

383.  Worships  the  Calves. 
— Nadab  followed  in  the  sins  of 
his  father,  and  was  at  lengtli 
slain  at  the  siege  of  Gibbetlion 
by  his  general,  Baasha,  who  then 
slew  all  the  house  of  Jeroboam. 
1  Kings  XV.  25-30. 

385.  3.  Baasha,  953-930.— 
Reigned  twenty-four  years. 
Prophet — Jehu. 

386.  Worships  the  Calres.- 
Baasha  now  usurped  the  throne, 
but  walked  in  the  ways  of  Jero- 
boam. He  removed  his  capital 
from  Shechem  to  Tirzah.  1  Kings 
XV.  33,  34. 

388.  Allies  with  Benhadad 
I. — The  kingdom  of  Damascus, 
founded  by  Rezon   (sect.   362), 


204 


1   KINGS. 


B.  c.  975-884. 


Judah— ^sa. 

idolatry,  and  celebrated  a  solemn 
festival  in  which  he  and  his  peo- 
ple engaged  to  serve  the  Lord. 
2  Chron.  xiv.  9-15  ;  xv. 

390.  Bribes  Beiihadad  I.  to 
attack  Baasha.— In  this  reign 
Baasha  king  of  Israel  occupied 
and  began  to  fortify  Eamah,  to 
prevent  his  people  entering  Ju- 
dah,  when  Asa  bribed  Baasha's 
ally,  Benhadad  I.,  king  of  Da- 
mascus, to  attack  him.  Benha- 
dad did  so,  and  took  several  cit- 
ies of  Naphtali,  which  obliged 
Baasha  to  give  up  the  fortifica- 
tion. Hanani  the  prophet  rem- 
onstrated with  Asa  for  his  Syrian 
alliance,  but  was  imprisoned  by 
the  king.  1  Kings  xv.  16-22; 
2  Chron.  xvi.  1-10. 

391.  Dies  of  Diseased  Feet. 
— Asa  was  attacked  with  diseased 
feet,  but  sought  the  physicians 
[i.  e.  foreign  magicians  who  prac- 
tised sorcery  and  incantations] 
more  than  God,  and  died  in  b,  c. 
914.  1  Kings  XV.  23, 24;  2  Chron. 
xvi.  11-14. 


Israel — Elah,  Zimri,  OmrL 

had  now  increased  in  power,  and 
Baasha  formed  an  alliance  with 
the  reigning  monarch,  Benha- 
dad. 1  Kings  XV.  19;  2  Chron. 
xvi.  3. 

389.  Fortifies  Rarnali.— The 
next  act  of  Baasha  was  to  fortify 
Kamah,  a  town  about  six  miles 
to  the  north  of  Jerusalem  and 
in  the  heart  of  the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min, in  order  to  prevent  his  sub- 
jects from  entering  Judah.*  But 
Asa,  king  of  Judah,  bribed  Ben- 
hadad, king  of  Syria,  to  invade 
Israel,  and  Baasha  was  then 
obliged  to  give  up  the  fortifi- 
cation. 

Jehu,  son  of  Hanani,  prophe- 
sied to  Baasha  the  extinction 
of  his  family  on  account  of  his 
wickedness.  1  Kings  xv.  16-21; 
xvi.  1-7;  2  Chron.  xvi.  1-5. 

392.  4.  Elah,  930,  929.— 
Son  of  Baasha.  Keigned  two 
years. 

393.  Assassinated  by  Zimri. 
— Baasha  was  assassinated  at  Tir- 
zah  by  Zimri,  captain  of  half 
his  chariots,  whilst  drinking  in 
the  house  of  Arza  his  steward. 
1  Kings  xvi.  8-10. 

394.  5.  Zimri,  929.— Reign- 
ed only  seven  days,  during  which 
he  destroyed  all  the  house  of 
Baasha.  1  Kings  xvi.  10-15. 

395.  Burnt  himself  at  Tir- 
zah. — Being  closely  besieged  by 
Omri,  captain  of  the  host,  he 
burnt  the  royal  palace  at  Tirzah, 
and  expired  in  the  flames.  1 
Kings  xvi.  15-20. 

396.  6.  Omri,  929-918; 
Factions  of  Omri  and  Tihni.— 
For  six  years  after  the  death  of 


*  Ramah  was  also  probably  intended  for  an  oflfensive  fortress  from 
whence  to  make  incursions  into  the  enemy's  country,  and  not  unlike 
the  forts  of  Decelea  in  Attica  and  of  Pylus  in  Messenia,  occupied  during 
the  Peloponnesian  war. —  Thucydides,  iv.  3j  vii.  19,  27,  28. 


B.  c.  975-884. 


1   KINGS 


205 


Jiidah—Jehoshaphat. 


Israel— Omri,  Ahah. 


398.  4.  Jeliosliapliat,  914- 

889.— Son  of  Asa.  Roigned 
twenty-five  years.  Prophets— 
Jehu,  Eliezer,  and  Jahaziel. 

400.  Upholds  the  Worship 
of  Jehovah.— Jehoshaphat  fear- 
ed God  like  his  fatlier  Asa,  and 
cleansed  the  land  of  groves  and 
other  traces  of  idolatry,  though 
the  people  still  burnt  incense  ni 
high  places,  though  probably 
only  to  Jehovah.  1  Kings  xxii. 
4-43;  2  Chron.  xvii.  3-6. 

402.  Organizes  the  National 
Education.— Jehoshaphat  also 
organized  a  system  for  the  re- 
ligious education  of  the  whole 
nation.      He  appointed   priests 


Zirari,  Israel  was  divided,  half 
for  Omri  and  half  for  Tibni. 
The  Omri  party  at  last  prevailed, 
Tibni  died,  and  Omri  reigned. 
1  Kings  xvi.  21,  22.       ^ 

397.  Omri  reigns  wickedly. 
—Omri  built  Samaria  and  made 
it  his  capital,  and  died  after  a 
wicked  reign  of  twelve  years, 
six  only  of  which  he  reigned 
alone.  1  Kings  xvi.  23-28. 

399.  7.  Ahab,  918-897.— 
Son  of  Omri,  and  the  most  wick- 
ed king  that  ever  ruled  Israel. 
—  Eeigned  twenty-two  years. 
Prophets — Elijah,  Micaiah,  and 
three  anonymous. 

401.  Marries  Jezehel;  wor- 
ships Baal  and  Astarte,  Phoe- 
nician Gods.— Ahab  married 
Jezebel,  daughter  of  Ethbaal,^ 
king  of  the  Zidonians,  and  in- 
troduced the  worship  of  Baalf 
and  Astarte,t  or  Ashtaroth ;  for 
which,  about  B.  C.  910,  God  sent 
Elijah  the  prophet  to  reprove 
him,  and  punished  him  with  a 
three  years'  famine.  1  Kings 
xvi.  29-33;  xvii.  1. 


-Ethbaal  was  apparently  king  of  the  Siclonians  and  Tynans,  or  per- 
haps of  the  Phoenicians  generally.  The  Tynan  line  in  ^^^^^^  ^;' *] 
well  as  Hiram,  the  ally  of  David  and  Solomon,  were  included,  reigned 
about  B.  0.  1050-586.  The  names  of  the  various  monarchs  are  given  by 
Josephus  as  an  extract  from  Manetho.  Besides  Jezebel,  who  paganized 
Israel,  two  other  remarkable  females  were  related  to^^^i^^^y^^^^y-y.^^- 
Athaliah,  daughter  of  Jezebel  and  Ahab,  who  usurped  Judah  (sect.  U6), 
and  Dido,  sister  of  Pygmalion,  who  founded  Carthage 

t  Baal,  or  Belus,  was  the  supreme  deity  amongst  all  the  Semitic  races, 
and  thus  came  to  be  identified  with  the  Sun,  the  greatest  divine  mani- 
festation in  the  Saba^an  system.  Hence  there  is  much  ^J^^'f^S'^f 
confusion  between  Belus  and  Apollo.  According  to  Sanchoniathon  as 
quoted  in  Cory's  Frafjmenfs,  the  PhcBnicians  stretched  then  hand 
toward  the  Sun,  the  only  Lord  of  heaven,  ca"^«g,l^^^^B^^«^^^"^^^'^,^^t 
in  Phoenician  is  -  Lord  of  heaven,"  but  in  the  Greek  Zeus.  Compare 
Layard's  Nineveh.  ^t.     c        ^    f^^r^  ^f 

t  Astarte,  or  Ashtaroth,  or  Queen  of  Heaven,  was  the  ff  ^^  «  ^^Jl^^f^ 
Baal,  and  was  identified  with  the  moon,  and  corresponded  to  the  Venus 
of  the  Greeks.  She  is  said  to  have  consecrated  a  star  in  the  holy  is  and, 
Tyre.  Her  worship  was  accompanied  by  the  most  infamous  and  de- 
grading rites.— /6k/.  and  Herod.,  i.  196. 
18 


206 


1  KINGS. 


B.  c.  97i)-884. 


Judall — Jehoshaphat. 

and  Levites  to  make  circuits 
throughout  the  land,  attended 
by  the  princes,  in  order  to  teach 
the  book  of  the  Law  to  the  sev- 
eral cities  of  Judah.  2  Chron. 
xvii.  7-9. 

404.  Fortifies  Judah,  and 
Levies  an  Army, — Jehosha- 
phat built  numerous  fenced  cities 
throughout  Judah,  with  strong 
fortifications,  ammunition,  and 
garrisons.  Besides  these  garri- 
son troops  he  had  an  immense 
army  under  five  great  generals 
stationed  at  Jerusalem,  and  also 
concentrated  a  large  force  on  his 
northern  frontier,  especially  in 
the  cities  of  Ephraim  which  Asa 
had  taken  from  Baasha.  2  Chron. 
xvii.  1,  2,  12-19. 

407.  Appoints  Judg-es.— Je- 
hoshaphat also  appointed  judges 
in  all  the  fenced  cities,  probably 
re-establishing  the  system  of  ju- 
dicial administration  which  had 
been  organized  by  Moses  (sect. 
133).  2  Chron.  xix.  5-11. 

408.  Flonrisliing  State  of 
his  Kingdom. — The  govern- 
ment of  Jehoshaphat  seems  to 
have  inspired  his  subjects  with 
confidence  and  their  enemies 
with  fear.  The  Edomites  con- 
tinued firm  in  their  allegiance ; 
the  Philistines  regularly  remitted 
their  presents  and  tribute-sil- 
ver ;  and  several  Arabian  tribes 
brought  him  large  tributes  or 
gifts  of  sheep  and  goats  from 
their  flocks.  2  Chron.  xvii.  10, 
11. 

409.  His  Affinity  with  Ahah, 
897. — The  capital  error  of  Je- 
hoshaphat was  in  contracting  an 
alliance  with  Ahab  and  marry- 
ing his  eldest  son,  Jehoram,  to 
Athaliah,  daughter  of  Ahab  and 
Jezebel.  This  took  place  in  the 
thirteenth  year  of  Jehoshaphat's 


Israel — Ahab. 

403.  Three  years'  Famine, 

cir.  910-906.  —  During  the 
three  years'  famine  Elijah  was 
miraculously  fed  by  ravens  at 
Cherith,  and  by  an  exhaustless 
vessel  of  meal  and  cruse  of  oil 
belonging  to  a  widow  at  Zare- 
phath  (a  Phoenician  city  between 
Tyre  and  Sidon),  whose  dead 
son  he  restored  to  life.  1  Kings 
xvii.  2-24. 

405.  Jezehel  persecutes  the 
Prophets. — About  this  time  Jez- 
ebel killed  all  the  prophets  of 
Jehovah  whom  she  could  find, 
but  Obadiah,  the  governor  of 
Ahab's  house,  hid  one  hundred 
by  fifty  in  a  cave,  and  fed  them 
with  bread  and  water. 

406.  Grand  Trial  on  Car- 
mel  between  Elijali  and  the 
Pi'iests  of  Baal. — After  the 
three  years,  Elijah,  with  Oba- 
diah's  assistance,  met  Ahab  by 
God's  direction.  Ahab  accused 
him  of  troubling  Israel,  but  he 
retorted  the  charge,  and  chal- 
lenged the  four  hundred  and 
fifty  priests  of  Baal  to  appear  at 
Mount  Carmel  before  Israel,  for 
Israel  to  decide  between  Baal 
and  Jehovah,  the  test  being  the 
kindling  by  fire  from  heaven  of 
the  sacrifices  laid  on  their  re- 
spective altars.  Baal's  priests 
then  prepared  their  altar  and 
victim,  but  implored  their  god 
in  vain.  Elijah  then  ordered  an 
old  altar  on  the  spot  to  be  repair- 
ed with  twelve  stones,  placed  the 
victim  upon  it,  and  after  causing 
the  whole  to  be  drenched  three 
times  with  water,  he  prayed  to 
Jehovah,  and  fire  immediately 
descended  and  consumed  the  vic- 
tim. The  surrounding  multitude 
were  now  convinced,  and  slaugh- 
tered Baal's  prophets  at  the  brook 
Kishon,  and  soon  after  rain  de- 


B.  c.  975-884. 


1  KINGS. 


207 


Judall — Jehoshaphat. 
reign.  2  Kings  viii.  18  ;  2Chron. 
xviii.  1 ;  xxii.  2. 


Isra.el—Ahab. 

scended  and  tlie  famine  ceased. 
1  Kings  xviii. 

410.  Eliiali  ordered  to  An- 
oint Hazael,  Jeliu,  and  Elislia. 

— Elijah  was  now  threatened  by 
Jezebel,  and  fled  to  Beer-sheba, 
where  an  angel  gave  him  a  cake 
which  nourished  him  for  forty 
days.  He  then  went  to  Mount 
Horeb,  where,  after  a  wind,  an 
earthquake,  and  a  fire,  the  Lord 
appeared  to  him  in  a  still  small 
voice,  and  ordered  him  to  anoint 
Hazael  to  be  king  of  Syria,  Jehu 
to  be  king  of  Israel,  and  Elisha 
to  be  prophet.  1  Kings  xix. 

411.  Campaigrn  of  Benlia- 
dad  II.;  Siege  of  Samaria, 
cir.  901.— Benhadad  II.— prob- 
ably the  son  of  Benhadad  I. 
(sect.  389)— now  entered  Israel 
with  three  vassal  kings,  and  laid 
siege  to  Samaria.  Ahab  at  first 
was  terrified  into  an  offer  of  un- 
conditional surrender  and  vassal- 
age, but  Benhadad  threatened  to 
•send  his  servants  to  search  the 
houses  of  Ahab  and  his  court, 
and  this  insult  roused  the  king 
of  Israel  to  opposition.  The  na- 
tional assembly  of  elders  exhort- 
ed him  to  firmness  and  vigor, 
and  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  prom- 
ised that  the  host  of  Syria  should 
be  delivered  into  his  hand.  Ahab 
sent  out  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
two  princes,  followed  by  an  army 
of  7000  men,  who  fell  upon- the 
enemy  at  noon,  whilst  Benhadad 
and  his  kings  were  carousing  in 
the  pavilions.  The  Syrian  army 
with  its  host  of  cavalry  and  char- 
iots was  taken  by  surprise  and 
quickly  routed;  Benhadad  es- 
caped with  the  horsemen,  and 
Ahab  himself  issued  from  Sama- 
ria and  assisted  in  the  slaughter; 
but  the  prophet  who  promised 
the  victory  foretold  that  the  next 


208  1   KINGS.  B.  c.  975-S84. 

Jndali — Jehoshaphat.  Israel — Ahab. 

year  the  Syrians  would  return. 
1  Kings  XX.  1-22. 

412.  Second  Campaign  of 
Benhadad  11.;  defeated  at 
Aphek. — The  next  year  the  Syr- 
ian captains  said  to  Benhadad, 
"The  gods  of  Israel  are  only 
gods  of  the  hills:  if  therefore 
we  fight  them  in  the  plain,  we 
shall  be  the  stronger."  Benha- 
dad accordingly  raised  another 
army,  and  invaded  Israel  on 
the  side  of  Phoenicia,  as  far  as 
Aphek,  which  was  included  in 
the  broad  plain  of  Esdraelon,  or 
Jezreel.  A  prophet  again  prom- 
ised victory  to  Ahab,  because  of 
the  blasphemous  expression  of 
the  enemy  concerning  the  God  of 
Israel.  A  battle  ensued,  10,000 
of  the  Syrians  were  slain,  and 
Benhadad  fled  with  the  remain- 
der into  the  city  of  Aphek,  and 
then  surrendered  to  Ahab.  1 
Kings  XX.  23-33. 

413.  Alliance  with  Syria.— 
•    Benhadad  now  agreed  that  the 

king  of  Israel  should  build 
streets  in  Damascus,  as  his  fa- 
ther Benhadad  I.  had  done  in 
Samaria ;  and  Ahab  then  cove- 
nanted with  him,  contrary  to 
God's  command,  for  which  he 
was  rebuked  and  threatened  by 
a  son  of  the  prophets.  1  Kings 
XX.  34-43. 

414.  Ahab  seizes  Nahoth's 
Tineyard ;  Elijah^s  fearful 
Prophecy,  899. — Ahab  cov- 
eted the  vineyard  of  Naboth  of 
Jezreel,  and,  acting  by  the  ad- 
vice of  his  wife  Jezebel,  he  got 
false  witnesses  to  procure  Na- 
both's  death  as  a  traitor,  and 
seized  his  confiscated  posses- 
sions. Elijah  then  assured 
Ahab,  "  Where  dogs  licked  the 
blood  of  Naboth  shall  dogs  lick 
thy  blood,  and  thine  house  shall 


B.C.  975-884.  1   KINGS.  209 

Jndah — Jehoshaphat.  Israel — Ahah. 

be  like  the  houses  of  Jeroboam 
and  Baasha ;  the  dogs  shall  eat 
Jezebel  by  the  wall  of  Jezreel ; 
and  him  that  dieth  of  Ahab  in 
the  city  the  dogs  shall  eat,  and 
him  that  dieth  in  the  field  shall 
the  fowls  of  the  air  eat."  Ahab 
now  humbled  himself  in  sack- 
cloth, and  the  evil  was  postponed 
until  his  son's  days.  1  Kings 
xxi. 

415.  Jehoshaphat  and  Ahab  unite  in  an  Expedition  against 
the  Syrians  at  Ramoth-g-ilead,  897. — Israel  was  now  at  peace 
with  Syria,  but  Benhadad  still  lield  Karaoth  in  Gilead  beyond  Jor- 
dan, which  Ahab  was  anxious  to  regain,  and  accordingly  invited 
the  assistance  of  Jehoshaphat  to  expel  the  Syrian  garrison.  Je- 
hoshaphat hesitated  to  go  before  the  Lord  had  been  consulted, 
when  Ahab  assembled  his  false  prophets  to  the  number  of  four 
hundred,  including  Zedekiah.  These  all  predicted  success,  but 
Jehoshaphat  doubted  their  truth,  and  Micaiah,  the  prophet  of  the 
Lord,  was  sent  for,  who  prophesied  the  contrary,  and  was  thrown 
into  prison  by  Ahab.  The  two  kings,  however,  marched  against 
Ramoth — Jehoshaphat  in  his  royal  robes,  but  Ahab  in  disguise. 
Benhadad  had  commanded  his  captains,  "  Fight  not  with  small  or 
great,  save  only  with  the  king  of  Israel."  Jehoshaphat  nearly  lost 
his  life  from  being  mistaken  for  Ahab,  but  the  latter  was  mortally 
wounded  by  a  random  arrow,  and  carried  back  in  his  chariot  to 
Samaria.  1  Kings  xxii.  1-37  ;  2  Cliron.  xviii. 

416.  Jehoshaphat  rebuked  417.  Death  of  Ahab,  897.— 
by  Jehu. — On  returning  to  Je-  At  evening  Ahab  died,  and  his 
rusalem,  Jehoshaphat  was  re-  chariot  and  harness  were  washed 
proved  by  Jehu,  son  of  Hanani,  in  the  pool  of  Samaria,  and  the 
for  joining  an  idolatrous  king,  dogs  licked  his  blood,  as  Elijah 
He  still  continued  in  his  work  had  prophesied.  "  There  was 
of  reformation,  and  made  a  tour  none  like  unto  Ahab  for  wick- 
through  his  dominions  from  edness."  He  introduced  the  wor- 
Beer-sheba  on  the  south  to  ship  of  Baal  and  slew  the  proph- 
Mount  Ephraim  on  the  north,  ets  of  the  Lord.  1  Kings  xxi.  37- 
seeking  to  bring  back  the  peo-  39 ;  2  Chron.  xviii.  34. 

pie  more  entirely  to  the  God  of  418.    Jericho    Rebuilt. — In 

their  fathers.  2  Chron.  xix.  1-4.  Ahab's   reign   Jericho   was   re- 

419.   Tries     to    reyive    the  built  by  Hid  the  Bethelite ;  "  he 

Commerce  of  Solomon,  etc. —  laid  the  foundation  thereof  in 

Jehoshaphat  attempted  to  revive  Abiram   his  first-born,   and  set 

the  ancient  traffic  of  Solomon  by  up    the    gates    thereof    in    his 

the  Eed  Sea  to  the  region  of  youngest  son  Segub."    (See  sect. 

gold.    Accordingly,  he  built  a  256.)  1  Kings  xvi.  34. 
18*                                      0 


210 


2  KINGS. 


B.  c.  975-884. 


Judah — Jehoshaphat. 

navy  at  his  port  of  Eziongeber 
on  the  Red  Sea  to  go  to  Ophir 
and  Tarshish  ;  but  in  an  evil 
day  he  consented  to  allow  Aha- 
ziah,  the  new  monarch  of  Israel, 
to  take  a  part  in  the  expedition  ; 
and  Eliezer  prophesied  against 
the  enterprise,  and  the  sliips 
were  wrecked  and  broken  up. 
1  Kings  xxii.  48  ;  2  Chron.  xx. 
85-37. 

422.  Defeats  Confederacy 
of  Moabites  and  Ammonites, 
896.  —  Jehoshaphat's  unfortu- 
nate expedition  with  Ahab 
against  Ramoth-gilead,  seems  to 
have  lowered  him  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  neighbors,  and  thus 
his  alliance  with  the  idolatrous 
king  brought  its  own  punishment. 
The  Moabites,  who  had  rebelled 
against  Israel,  were  joined  by 
the  Ammonites  and  some  Ara- 
bian tribes,  and  invaded  Judah. 
Jehoshaphat  then  proclaimed  a 
solemn  fast,  and,  being  encour- 
aged by  the  prophet  Jahaziel, 
he  proceeded  with  his  forces  to 
Tekoah  to  meet  the  enemy.  Here 
the  army  of  Jehoshaphat  re- 
mained stationary,  singing  the 
praises  of  God  ;  and  whilst  they 
were  thus  employed  the  enemy 
madly  destroyed  each  other  and 
left  a  rich  spoil.  Three  days  were 
employed  by  Jehoshaphat  in 
collecting  the  riclies  and  jewels, 
and  then,  after  praising  God  in 
the  valley  of  Berachah,  which  is 
supposed  to  be  the  same  as  the 
valley  of  Jehoshaphat  on  the 
north  and  east  of  Jerusalem 
(sect.  326,  note),  the  whole  army 
returned  to  Jerusalem.  2  Chron. 
XX.  1-30. 


Israel — Ahaziah,  Jehoram. 

420.  8.  Aliaziali,  897,  896. 
— Son  of  Ahab.  Reigned  two 
years.     Prophet — Elijah. 

421.  Worships  both  Baal 
and  the  Calves.  —  Ahaziah 
united  tlie  sins  of  his  father  to 
those  of  Jeroboam,  for  he  adopt- 
ed the  policy  of  the  latter  in 
worshipping  the  golden  calves, 
whilst  he  followed  in  the  idol- 
atry of  Baal  and  the  other  Phoe- 
nician gods  which  had  been  in- 
troduced by  Jezebel.  1  Kings 
xxii.  51-53;  2  Chron.  xxii. 
1-4. 

423.  Revolt  of  the  Moab- 
ites.— Moab,  which  had  hitlier- 
to  been  tributary  to  Israel,  and 
paid  a  yearly  revenue  of  100,000 
rams  and  100,000  lambs,  was  en- 
couraged by  the  victory  of  Ben- 
hadad  over  Ahab  to  rebel  against 
Israel.  2  Kings  i.  1. 

424.  Ahaziah  sick ;  sends 
to  Baal-zebub.— Shortly  after- 
ward Ahaziah  fell  through  a  lat- 
tice, and  sent  for  help  to  Baal- 
zebub  ("  lord  of  flies  "),  who  was 
the  god  at  the  Philistine  town 
of  Ekron.  Elijah  met  the  mes- 
sengers, and  sent  them  back  with 
a  prediction  of  Ahaziah's  death. 
2  Kings  i.  2-4. 

425.  Elijah  brings  Fire 
from  Heaven.  —  When  Aha- 
ziah heard  of  Elijah's  prophecy 
he  sent  three  successive  com- 
panies of  fifty  each  to  arrest 
him  :  the  first  two  were  destroy- 
ed by  fire,  but  Elijah  returned 
with  the  third  and  repeated  his 
previous  prediction.  So  Aha- 
ziah died,  after  reigning  two 
years.  2  Kings  i.  5-18. 

426.  9.  Jehorant,  or  Joram, 
896-884.— Son  of  Ahab  and 
brother  of  Ahaziah.  Reigned 
twelve  years.  Prophets — Mi' 
jah  and  Elisha. 


B.  c.  975-884.  2  KINGS.  211 

Judiih—JehoshaphaL  Israel— Jehorcm. 

427.  Worships  the  Calyes. 

— Jehoram  followed  the  idola- 
trous policy  of  Jeroboam,  though 
not  the  sins  of  his  father  Ahab, 
for  he  put  away  Baal,  though  he 
worshipped  the  golden  calves. 
2  Kings  iii.  1-3. 

428.  Elijah  translated,  896. 
—Elijah,*  whilst  in  company 
with  Elisha,  divided  the  Jordan 
with  his  mantle,  and  was  carried 
to  heaven  in  a  whirlwind,  and 
Elisha  was  appointed  his  suc- 
cessor. Elisha  now  repeated 
Elijah's  miracle  of  dividing  the 
Jordan,  and  sent  fifty  of  the  sons 
of  the  prophets  to  seek  Elijah, 
but  they  returned  unsuccessful 
after  three  days'  search.  Elisha 
then  healed  the  waters  at  Jeri- 
cho, and  cursed  the  children  at 
Bethel  who  mocked  him,  after 


»  Life  of  Elijah  (prophesied,  9IO-896).-Elijali  was  a  native  of  Tisbe 

in  GileaS  beyond  Jo.^au,  aAd  tiourished  in  the  reigns  of  Ahab  and 

Ahaziah      In  B.  c.  910  he  predicted  the  three  years'  drought  to  Ahab 

durng  which  he  was  fed  by  ravens  by  the  brook  Cher  th,  ami  af  erward 

by  the  meal  which  did  not  waste  and  the  oil  which  du    not  fail  of  the 

widow  at  Zarephath,  and  raised  the  widow's  son  to  life.     In  b.  c.  90b 

heTovcd  the  superiority  of  Jehovah  to  Baal  at  Mount  Carmel   and 

ordered  the  slayiig  of  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  prophets  of  Baal; 

he  then  promised  abundance  of  rain,  which  fell  -"Vr'f.^o  Mount 

Jezebel  now  threatened  Elijah's  life,  and  the  P^^f^^  /,«,f,^i"„,,^!7f^^ 

Horeb,  or  Sinai,  in  Arabia  Petra^a,  and  was  miraculously  s^PP^f  «^jr 

for[y  days  on  his  journey.     Here,  after  a  tempest,  an  earthquake,  and 

a  fir^e,  jJhovah  commanded  him  in  a  still  small  7^«^\«  -f,^^\^°^ 

anoint  Hazael  to  be  king  over  Syria,  Jehu  son  of  f  ^"^^^^^g^^g^^f/^f 

over  Israel,  and  Elisha  to  be  his  successor.     About  B.  c.  899,  Mijali 

denounced  Ahab  and  Jezebel  for  murdering  Naboth  and  seizing  his 

vineyard:  and  about  b.  c.  896  he  predicted  Ahaziah  s  death  for  con- 

ZZl  B^al-zebub,  and  burnt  up  two  captains  of  fifties  who  w-e  s  nt 

to  arrest  him.     The  same  year  he  divided  the  waters  of  Jordan  in  the 

presence  of  Elisha,  and,  being  carried  to  heaven  in  a  ^^^^/.f  ^Yf^re 

left  his  mantle  and  a  double  portion  of  his  spirit  to  him      Malachi  fore 

told  the  reappearance  of  Elijah  "  before  the  coming  of  f^J^^^^  ^^^ 

terrible  day  of  the  Lord."    Mai.  iv.  5.     Our  Saviour  informs  us  that 

Elijah,  or  Elias,  came  in  spirit  in  John  the  baptist  (Matt  xiUxvn 

10-13);  and  Elijah  and  Moses  both  appeared  and  converged  with  our 

Lord  at  the  Transfiguration.  Matt,  xvii   3  ;  Mark  ix   ^  5  Luke  ix   30 

Many  of  the  Jews  in  our  Saviour's  time  believed  him  to  be  Elijah  risen 


from  the  dead. 


212  2   KINGS.  B.C.  975-884. 

Judall — Jehoshaphat.  Israel — Jehoram. 

which  forty-two  were  slain  by 
two  she-bears.  2  Kings  ii. 

429.  Jehoram  allies  with  Jehoshaphat  to  put  down  tlie 
Moahite  Revolt,  895. — The  first  act  of  Jehoram  was  to  subdue 
the  Moabites,  who  in  the  previous  reign  had  rebelled  against 
Israel.  Accordingly,  he  allied  with  Jehoshaphat  and  the  king 
of  Edom,  and  the  three  armies  proceeded  to  Moab  through  the 
wilderness  of  Edora.  There  they  suffered  from  want  of  water, 
and  Jehoram  applied  to  Elisha,  who,  in  consideration  for  Je- 
hoshaphat, relieved  them.  Elisha  ordered  trenches  to  be  dug, 
which  the  Lord  filled  with  water  during  the  night.  Next  morn- 
ing the  Moabites  mistook  this  water  for  blood,  and  thinking  that 
the  three  armies  had  been  fighting  each  other,  they  attacked  them, 
but  were  defeated  with  great  loss.  The  confederate  armies  now 
ravaged  Moab,  and  so  closely  besieged  the  king  in  Kir-haraseth, 
his  capital,  that  after  vainly  trying  to  cut  his  way  with  seven  hun- 
dred men  through  the  Edomite  camp,  he  sacrificed  his  eldest  son 
as  a  burnt-oflfering  upon  the  wall.  2  Kings  iii.  4-27. 

430.  Elisha  heals  Naamaii's 
Leprosy,  894. — Naaman,  a  Syr- 
ian general  under  Benhadad, 
was  afilicted  with  leprosy,  when 
an  Israelite  captive,  handmaid 
to  his  wife,  mentioned  the 
power  of  the  prophet  in  Sa- 
maria. Benhadad  then  sent 
Naaman  with  a  letter  and 
presents  to  the  king  of  Israel, 
but  Jehoram  received  him  with 
suspicious  dread,  and  rent  his 
clothes,  saying,  "Am  I  God,  to 
"^  kill  and  make  alive,  that  this 
man  doth  send  unto  me  to  re- 
cover a  man  of  his  leprosy?" 
Elisha  heard  of  Jehoram's  dis- 
tress, and,  sending  for  Naaman, 
said  to  him,  "Go  and  wash  in 
Jordan  seven  times,  and  thou 
shalt  be  clean."  Naaman  at 
first  was  wroth  because  the 
rivers  of  Damascus  were  not 
preferred,  but  was  at  length 
persuaded  by  his  servant  to 
follow  Elisha's  advice,  and  was 
then  healed  of  his  leprosy. 
Naaman    oflfered    presents     to 


c.  975- 


2  KINGS. 


213 


Jlidall— Je^oraw. 


IsrSL^l—Jehoram. 


432.  Jeliorani  associated 
with  Ms  Fatlicr,  892.— Je- 
horam  was  made  king  whilst 
his  iiither  Jehoshaphat  was  yet 
alive.  2  Kings  viii.  16. 

434.  5.  Jeliorain,  or  Joraiii, 
889-885.— Son  of  Jehoshapliat. 
Keigned  six  years  alone,  but  eight 
vears  altogether. 
"  435.   Sins  like  Ahab.— Je- 
horam   had    married   Athaliah, 
daughter  of  Ahab,  murdered  all 
his   younger  brethren,   and   es- 
tablished   idolatry.     For   these 
offences  a  prophecy  came  against 
him  from  Elijah  in  writing  (sup- 
posed to  be  Elisha,  as  Elijah  was 
dead).   2  Kings  viii.  16-19;   2 
Chron.  xxi.  1-4,  12-15. 


Elisha,  which  were  refused,  and 
he  then  begged  for  two  mules' 
burdens  of  earth  out  of  Canaan, 
as  he  would  thenceforth  sacrifice 
only  to  the  Lord.     Gehazi,  Eli- 
sha's  servant,  grudged  his  mas- 
ter's   liberality,    and,   following 
Naaman,  he  deceitfully  obtain- 
ed two  changes  of  raiment  and 
a    silver    talent    [1366    oz.    = 
£341  10s.]  ;   but  Elisha  discov- 
ered his   guilt,  and   transferred 
to  Gehazi  and  his  descendants 
the  leprosy  of  Naaman.  2  Kings 
V.  27. 

431.  Other  Miracles,  cir. 
§93,  _  Elisha  made  an  iron 
axe's  head,  which  a  son  of  the 
prophets  had  dropped  in  the 
Jordan,  to  swim.  He  also  dis- 
closed Benhadad's  counsel  to 
Jehoram,  and,  being  in  Dothan, 
the  Syrian  king  tried  to  take 
him  by  surrounding  the  place 
with  chariots  and  cavalry;  but 
Elisha  smote  the  Syrian  host 
blind,  and  then  ordered  Jeho- 
ram to  give  them  provisions 
and  set  them  at  liberty.  2 
Kings  vi.  1-23. 


433.    Beiihadad  II.    a^ain 
besieges  Samaria,  cir.  892. 

— Benhadad  besieged  Samaria 
so  closely  that  a  famine  en- 
sued. Women  were  forced  to 
eat  their  own  children,  and 
Jehoram,  charging  the  evil  on 
Elisha,  sought  to  slay  him. 
Elisha  predicted  an  abundance 
of  provision  on  the  next  day; 
and  the  same  night  four  lepers 
discovered  that  the  Syrians,  ter- 
rified by  miraculous  noises,  had 
hurriedly  fled  and  left  all  their 
effects,  which  amply  supplied 
the  wants  of  the  besieged ;  and 
a  lord  who  had  scoffed  at  the 
prophecy  of  Elisha  was  trodden 
to  death  by  the  crowd  at  the 


214 


2   KINGS. 


B.  c.  975-884. 


Judall — A  haziah. 

436.  Fulfllment  of  Proph- 
ecy against  Jelioram. — This 
was  fulfilled ;  1st,  In  the  revolt 
of  Edom,  which  from  this  time 
chose  its  own  king  and  ceased 
to  pay  homage  to  Judah,  and 
of  Libnah.  2d,  In  the  invasion 
of  the  Philistines  and  Arabian 
Ethiopians,  who  carried  ofi"  his 
wives  and  children.  3d,  In  be- 
ing attacked  with  a  bowel  dis- 
ease, of  which  he  died.  2  Kings 
viii.  20-22;  2  Chron.  xxi.  8-11, 
16-19. 

439.  6.  Ahaziali,  Azariali, 
or  Jehoahaz,  885,  884.— Son 
of  Jehoram  by  Athaliah,  began 
to  reign  in  b.  c.  886,  whilst  his 
father  was  alive.  2  Kings  ix.  29. 

440.  Sins  like  Aliab ;  allies 
witll  Jehoram. — Ahaziah,  like 
his  father  Jehoram,  fell  into  the 
idolatry  of  Ahab,  and  joined 
Jelioram,  king  of  Israel,  in  at- 
tacking Hazael,  king  of  Syria, 
who  had  stifled  his  master, 
Benhadad  II.,  and  ascended  his 
throne,  and  was  now  at  Ramoth- 
gilead,  east  of  the  Jordan.  Here 
Jehoram  was  wounded,  and  re- 
turned to  Jezreel,  where  Ahaziah 
visited  him,  and  the  two  kings 
went  to  meet  Jehu,  who  slew 
Jehoram.  2  Kings  viii.  27-29; 
ix.  16-26;  2  Chron.  xxii.  2-6. 

442.  Slain  hy  Jehu.— Aha- 
ziah was  afterward  pursued  and 
slain  at  Megiddo,  but  buried  at 
Jerusalem.  His  forty-two  neph- 
ews and  kinsmen  were  also  slain. 
2  Kings  ix.  27,  28;  x.  12-14;  2 
Chron.  xxii.  7-9. 


Israel — Jehu. 

gate  of  Samaria.  2  Kings  vi. 
24-33;  vii. 

437.  Elisha  restores  the 
Shunammite's  son,  etc.,  cir. 

891.— Elisha  healed  the  dead- 
ly pottage  at  Gilgal,  and  fed 
one  hundred  men  with  twenty 
loaves,  restored  the  Shunam- 
mite's  dead  son,  and  predicted 
seven  years'  famine,  during 
which  the  Shunammite  retired 
to  the  land  of  the  Philistines. 
2  Kings  iv.  8-41 ;  viii.  1,  2. 

438.  Foretells  tlie  Acces- 
sion of  Hazael,  cir.  885.— 
Elisha  went  to  Damascus  and 
foretold  the  death  of  Benhadad 
and  accession  of  Hazael.  This 
year  the  seven  years'  famine 
ended,  and  Elisha  obtained  for 
the  Shunammite  woman  the 
restoration  of  her  inheritance. 
2  Kings  viii.  3-15. 

441.  Anoints  Jelui;  De- 
struction of  the  Dynasty  of 
Ahab,  884. — Elisha  sent  one 
of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  to 
anoint  Jehu,  son  of  Nimshi, 
and  Jehoram's  captain  at  Ra- 
moth-gilead,  to  be  king  of  Is- 
rael, according  to  the  command 
given  by  God  to  Elijah  on 
Mount  Horeb  (sect.  410).  Jehu 
was  then  acknowledged  king  by 
the  soldiers,  and  went  to  Jezreel, 
where  Jehoram  and  Ahaziah 
king  of  Judah  happened  to  be. 
Jehoram,  informed  by  a  watch- 
man of  Jehu's  approach,  sent 
three  successive  messengers  to 
inquire,  ''Is  it  peace?"  but 
neither  of  them  returned.  Je- 
horam and  Ahaziah  then  went 
in  person  to  meet  Jehu  with 
the  same  question,  but  Jehu 
replied,  "What  peace,  so  long 
as  the  whoredoms  and  witch- 
crafts of  thy  mother  Jezebel 
are    so    many!"    and    shot    an 


c.  884-721.  2   KINGS.  215 

Judah — Athaliah,  Joash.  Israel — Jehu. 

arrow  through  the  heart  of  Je- 
horam,  whose  body  was  then 
cast  into  Naboth's  field,  as  pre- 
dicted by  Elijah  (sect.  414). 
Ahaziah  was  also  slain.  (See 
also  the  Life  of  Elisha,  sect. 
436,  note.)  2  Kings  ix.  1-29; 
2  Chron.  xxii.  7-9. 


Second  Period— /rowi  the  simultaneom  accession  of  Jehu  in  Israel 
and  usurpation  of  Athaliah  in  Judah,  until  Israel  was  carried 
away  captive  by  the  Assyrian  Power.    B.  c.  884-721  =  163  years. 


443.  7.  Atlialiah's  Usurpa- 
tion, 884-878.— Daughter  of 
Ahab,  wife  of  Jehoram,  and 
mother  of  Ahaziah,  now  destroy- 
ed all  the  seed  royal,  and  usurp- 
ed the  throne  for  six  years.  2 
Kings  xi.  1,  3;  2  Chron.  xxii. 
10,  12. 

446.  Joash  saved;  educated 
Iby  Jehoiada. — Joash,  son  of 
Ahaziah,  was,  however,  saved 
by  his  aunt  Jehosheba,  who  was 
wife  of  Jehoiada  the  high  priest. 
2  Kings  xi.  2;  2  Chron.  xxii. 
11. 

447.  Athaliah  slain;  Joash 
anointed  Xing'.  —  After  six 
years  the  people  grew  tired  of 
Athaliah's  tyranny,  and  Jehoi- 
ada the  high  priest  anointed 
Joa^h  in  the  temple  and  pro- 
claimed him  king,  and  Athaliah, 
rushing  there  to  know  the  cause 
of  the  disturbance,  was  slain  at 
the  outer  gate.  2  Kings  xi.  4- 
16  ;  2  Chron.  xxiii.  1-15. 

448.  8.  Jelioash,  or  Joash, 
878-839.— Son  of  Ahaziah. 
Reigned  forty  years.  Prophet 
— Zechariah,  son  of  Jehoiada. 

449.  Jelioiada regent;  Wor- 
ship of  Jehovah  restored.— 
During  the  minority  of  Joash 
the  high  priest  Jehoiada  ap- 
pears to  have  been  guardian  of 


444.  10.  Jehu,  884-856.— 
Son  of  Nimshi.  Reigned  twenty- 
eight  years.  Prophets — Elisha 
and  Jonah. 

445.  Slays  Jezebel  and  de- 
stroys the  House  of  Aliab. — 
Jehu  now  proceeded  to  Jezreel, 
where  Jezebel  reproached  him, 
saying,  **  Had  Zimri  peace,  who 
slew  his  master?"  alluding  to 
Zimri's  murder  of  Elah,  by 
which  he  enjoyed  the  throne 
only  seven  days.  (See  sect.  393.) 
Some  eunuchs  tlien,  by  Jehu's 
order,  threw  Jezebel  from  a 
window,  and  she  was  trampled 
to  death  by  horses  and  her  car- 
cass eaten  by  dogs,  according  to 
Elijah's  prophecy  (sect.  414). 
Jehu  now  ordered  the  people 
of  Samaria  to  send  him  the 
heads  of  Ahab's  seventy  sons, 
and  proceeding  to  Samaria,  he 
met  Ahaziah's  forty-two  brothers 
and  killed  them.  He  next  met 
Jehonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab 
(founder  of  the  Rechabites ;  see 
sect.  201,  note),  and  received 
him  into  favor,  and  proceeding 
to  Samaria  he  completed  the 
destruction  of  Ahab's  family. 
2  Kings  ix.  30-37  ;  x.  1-17. 

450.  Destroys  Baal's  Wor- 
shippers.— At  Samaria,  Jehu 
assume^  the  character  of  a  de- 


216 


2   KINGS. 


B.  c.  884-721. 


Judah — Joash. 

the  young  king  and  regent  of 
the  kingdom.  He  aroused  the 
religious  zeal  of  the  priests, 
Levites,  and  people,  threw  down 
the  temple  of  Baal,  and  slew 
Mattan  the  priest;  and  having 
then  destroyed  all  the  idolatrous 
temples,  altars,  and  monuments 
throughout  tlie  land,  he  restored 
the  true  worship  of  Jehovah. 
2  Kings  xi.  17-21 ;  xii.  1-3 ;  2 
Chron.  xxiii.  16-21 ;  xxiv.  1-3. 

452.  Joash  repairs  the 
Temple,  cir.  856. — Joash  being 
grown  up,  caused  the  temple  at 
Jerusalem  to  be  repaired  by 
collecting  money  from  the  peo- 
ple, as  Moses  had  done  for  the 
building  of  the  tabernacle.  He 
reigned  well  during  the  whole 
life  of  Jehoiada,  though  the  high 
places  were  not  removed ;  but 
after  the  high  priest's  death  he 
fell  into  idolatry.  2  Kings  xii. 
4-16;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  4-14. 

454.  Death  of  Jehoiada; 
Re-establishment  of  Baal, 
cir.  840. — Jehoiada  died,  aged 
one  hundred  and  thirty  years ; 
and  Joash,  listening  to  the 
princes  of  Judah,  re-established 
the  worship  of  Baal ;  and  when 
Zechariah  the  priest  and  son  of 
Jehoiada  remonstrated,  Joash 
commanded  the  people  to  stone 
him.  2  Chron.  xxiv.  15-22. 

456.  Syrian  Invasion  nnder 
Hazael. — Hazael,  king  of  Syria, 
now  marched  against  Judah, 
but  Joash,  with  the  vessels  of 
the  temple,  bribed  him  to  depart. 
At  the  end  of  the  year,  however, 
a  small  company  of  Syrians  de- 
feated the  host  of  Judah,  de- 
stroyed the  princes,  and  sent  the 
spoil  to  Damascus.  2  Kings  xii. 
17,  18 ;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  23,  24. 

459.  Joash  slain  by  his 
Servants,    839. —  Joash    was 


Israel — Jehu,  Jehoahaz. 

vout  votary  of  Baal,  and  by  a 
pretended  sacrifice  collected  all 
the  idolaters  into  Baal's  temple. 
Jehonadab  the  Eechabite,  with 
eighty  men,  then  entered  the 
building  by  his  direction  and 
slew  all  who  were  within,  and 
the  images  were  brought  out  and 
burnt,  and  the  temple  convert- 
ed to  the  vilest  of  purposes.  2 
Kings  X.  18-28. 

451.  Cir.  862.  — Jonah 
prophesied.  See  Prophetical 
Books — Jonah. 

453.  Hazael  seizes  the  Ter- 
ritory east  of  the  Jordan, 
860. — Jehu  had  been  conduct- 
ing the  war  against  Hazael,  king 
of  Syria,  at  Eamoth  -  gilead 
when  the  message  of  Elisha 
called  him  to  the  throne.  Ha- 
zael seems  to  have  taken  advan- 
tage of  his  absence  to  seize  all 
the  Israelite  territory  east  of 
the  Jordan ;  and  Jehu,  who  still 
practised  the  idolatry  of  Jero- 
boam, was  not  permitted  to 
regain  this  dominion.  2  Kings 
X.  32-36. 

455.  Worships  the  Golden 
Calves,  856. — Jehu,  though  he 
destroyed  Baal,  yet  followed  in 
the  sins  of  Jeroboam,  by  wor- 
shipping the  two  golden  calves ; 
but  for  his  faithfulness  in  ex- 
terminating Ahab's  family  God 
promised  the  kingdom  to  his 
descendants  to  the  fourth  gener- 
ation. 2  Kings  X.  29-31. 

457. 11.  Jehoahaz,856-839. 
— Son  of  Jehu.  Keigned  seven- 
teen years.     Prophet — Elisha. 

458.  Worships  the  Golden 
Calves ;  oppressed  by  Hazael 
and  Benhadad  III. — Followed 
in  the  sins  of  Jeroboam,  and 
was  accordingly  oppressed  by 
Hazael,  king  of  Syria,  and  his 
son,   Benhadad   III.,   who  sue- 


B.  c.  884-721. 


2  KINGS. 


217 


Judah — Amaziah. 

aflflicted  with  disease,  and  at 
length  slain  in  his  bed  by  two 
of  his  servants.  2  Kings  xii. 
20,  21 ;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  25,  26. 

460.  9.  Amaziah,  839-810. 
— Sonof  Joash.  Reigned  twenty- 
nine  years.  Prophet — Elisha. 
2  Kings  xiv.  1-8 ;  2  Chron.  xxv. 
1. 

462.  Begins  well. — Amaziah 
slew  his  father's  murderers,  but 
spared  their  children  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  law  of  Moses.  He 
began  his  reign  well,  but  did 
not  remove  the  high  places.  2 
Kings  XV.  3-6;  2  Chron.  xxv. 
2-4. 


Israel — Joash. 

ceeded  him;  but  Jehoahaz  re- 
pented, and  his  successor,  Joash, 
was  enabled  to  rescue  Israel. 
2  Kings  xiii.  1-9. 

461.  12.  Joasli,or  Jolioasli, 
839-826.  — Son  of  Jehoahaz. 
Eeigned  two  years  whilst  his 
father  was  alive — in  all  fourteen 
years  alone ;  seventeen  years 
altogether.     Prophet — Elisha. 

468.  Worships  the  Golden 
Calves;  promised  Three 
Yietories  by  Elisha. — Joash 
walked  in  the  sins  of  Jeroboam. 
Elisha  fell  sick  and  sent  for 
Joash,  who,  at  the  prophet's 
command,  shot  an  arrow  from 
his  window,  but  when  desired 
to  smite  the  ground  did  so  only 
three  times.  Elisha  then  prom- 
ised him  three  victories  over  the 
Syrians,  but  rebuked  him  for 
not  smiting  more.  Elisha  soon 
afterward  died.*  2  Kings  xiii. 
1-21. 


*  Life  of  Elisha,  896-838.— Elisha,  son  of  Shaphat  of  Abel-meholah, 
was  ploughing  with  twelve  pair  of  oxen  when  Elijah  called  him  to  the 
prophetic  office  by  throwing  his  mantle  over  him  and  anointing  him  as 
prophet,  B.  c.  896,  in  the  reign  of  Jehoram.  The  same  year  Elijah 
was  taken  up  to  heaven  in  a  chariot  of  fire,  and  gave  Elisha  his  mantle 
and  a  double  portion  of  his  spirit,  which  Elisha  had  previously  asked 
for,  and  assured  that  he  should  receive  if  he  were  with  Elijah  at  the 
time  of  his  departure.  Elisha  was  now  the  prophet  iu  Israel  in  the 
room  of  Elijah,  and  the  remainder  of  his  life  was  a  series  of  miracles — 
viz. : 

B.  c.  896.  1st,  He  smote  the  Jordan  with  Elijah's  mantle  and  divi- 
ded the  stream.  2d,  He  healed  the  waters  of  Jericho  by  throwing  in 
salL  3d,  He  cursed  the  mocking  children  at  Bethel,  and  forty-two 
were  slain  by  two  she-bears. 

B.  c.  895.  4th,  He  miraculously  supplied  the  allied  armies  of  Judah, 
Israel,  and  Edom  with  water  when  perishing  in  the  wilderness  of  Edom 
in  their  expedition  against  the  Moabites.  5th,  He  promised  the  Shu- 
nammite  a  son. 

B.  0.  894.  6th,  He  healed  Naaman's  leprosy.  7th,  He  transferred 
the  leprosy  to  his  servant  Gehazi. 

B.  c.  893.  8th,  He  made  an  iron  axe's  head  to  swim.  9th,  He  dis- 
closed the  secret  counsels  of  Benhadad  II.  to  Jehoram,  king  of  Israel. 
10th,  He  blinded  the  Syrian  host  sent  to  take  him. 

B.  0.  892.     11th,   He  promised  abundance  of  provision  during  the 
siege  of  Samaria. 
19 


218 


2   KINGS. 


B.C.  884-721. 


Israel — Joash. 

465.  Defeats  the  Syrians 
Three  times,  836. — Joash  de- 
feated the  Syrians  three  times, 
as  Elisha  had  promised,  and 
recovered  the  cities  west  of  the 
Jordan,  which  Hazael  had  taken 
from  his  father  Jehoahaz. 

About  this  time  Israel  was 
invaded  by  predatory  bands  of 
Moabites.  2  Kings  xiii.  20,  22- 
25. 


Jndah — Amaziah. 

464.  Defeats  the  Edoinites, 

827. — Amaziah  levied  an  army 
to  attack  the  Edomites,  and 
hired  100,000  Israelites,  but 
being  forbidden  by  a  prophet 
to  use  the  idolatrous  mercena- 
ries, he  sent  them  back,  which 
so  exasperated  the  100,000  that 
they  ravaged  Judah  on  their 
way  and  killed  3000.  Mean- 
time, Amaziah  conquered  the 
Edomites  in  the  Valley  of  Salt, 
at  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  and  took  Selah 
[Petra].  2  Kings  xiv.  7;  2 
Chron.  xxv.  5-13. 

466.  Worships  the  Edomite 
Gods. — On  his  return  after  these 
splendid  successes  Amaziah  was 
mad  enough  to  worship  the 
Edomite  gods,  and  was  threat- 
ened with  destruction  by  a 
prophet.  2  Chron.  xxv.  14- 
16. 

467.  Amaziah  defeated  by  Joash,  826. — Amaziah  now  chal 
lenged  Joash,  king  of  Israel,  to  battle,  but  the  latter  replied,  *'  The 
thistle  that  was  in  Lebanon  said  to  the  cedar,  *  Give  thy  daughter 
as  a  wife  to  my  son ;'  but  a  wild  beast  passed  by  and  trod  down 
the  thistle.  Now,  thou  hast  indeed  smitten  Edom,  and  thy  heart 
hath  lifted  thee  up  to  boast,  but  tarry  at  home,  for  why  shouldest 
thou  meddle  to  thine   hurt  and   fall,  and   Judah  with   thee?" 


B.  c.  891.  12th,  He  healed  the  deadly  pottage  at  Gilgal.  13th,  He 
fed  one  hundred  men  with  twenty  loaves.  14th,  He  restored  the  Shu- 
nammite's  son.  15th,  He  foretold  seven  years  of  famine  when  the 
Shunammite  went  to  the  land  of  the  Philistines. 

B.  c.  885.  16th,  He  foretold  the  death  of  Benhadad  and  accession  of 
Hazael. 

B.  0.  884.     17th,  He  sent  to  anoint  Jehu,  son  of  Nimshi,  to  be  king. 

B.  c.  838.  He  promised  to  Joash  on  his  deathbed  three  victories  over 
the  Syrians. 

After  Elisha's  death  a  corpse  was  hastily  thrown  into  his  sepulchre, 
that  the  mourners  might  escape  from  the  Moabites,  who  then  infested 
Israel ;  but  as  soon  as  the  corpse  touched  the  bones  of  Elisha  it  was 
restored  to  life. 

Elisha  was  contemporary  with  Joram,  Jehu,  and  Joash,  kings  of 
Israel,  and  with  Joram,  Ahaziah,  Athaliah,  and  Joash,  monarchs  of 
Judah. 


B.C.  884-721. 


2   KINGS. 


219 


Amaziah  would  not,  however,  be  thus  warned,  but  marched 
against  Joash,  and  was  utterly  defeated ;  and  the  king  of  Israel 
took  Jerusalem,  broke  down  the  wall,  and  plundered  the  temple 
and  palace.  2  Kings  xiv.  8-15 ;  2  Chron.  xxv.  17-24. 


Judall —  TJzziah. 

468.  Slain  at  LacMsh,  811. 

— A  conspiracy  was  formed 
against  Amaziah  at  Jerusalem, 
and  he  fled  to  Lachish,  but  was 
slain  there.  2  Kings  xiv.  19,  20 ; 
2  Chron.  xxv.  27,  28. 

470.  10.  Uzziah,  or  Aza- 
riali,  810-758. — Son  of  Ama- 
ziah. Reigned  fifty-two  years. 
Prophets — Zechariah,  Joel,  and 
Jsaiah. 

472.  Influence  of  Zecha- 
riah; Kingdom  flourishes.— 

Uzziah  was  sixteen  years  old 
when  he  ascended  the  throne, 
and  as  long  as  Zechariah  the 
prophet  lived  he  reigned  right- 
eously and  prospered.  He  sub- 
dued the  Philistines  and  border- 
ing Arabs,  and  made  the  Am- 
monites tributary.  He  recover- 
ed the  port  of  Elath  on  the  Red 
Sea ;  fortified  Jerusalem  with 
towei-s ;  built  towers  and  wells 
in  the  desert ;  and  strengthened 
his  works  by  the  erection  of  new 
and  extraordinary  engines  for 
the  discharge  of  arrows  and 
large  stones.  He  also  enrolled 
a  large  army  like  tiiat  of  Je- 
hoshaphat,  and  provided  ample 
stores  of  armor  and  weapons. 
It  is  moreover  particularly  stated 
that  he  was  fond  of  agriculture, 
and  that  both  by  example  and 
encouragement  he  fostered  hus- 
bandry, planting,  and  the  keep- 
ing of  cattle.  2  Kings  xv.  1-4  ; 
2  Chron.  xxvi.  1-16. 

474.  Cir.  800.— Joel  prophe- 
sied. See  Prophetical  Books — 
Joel. 

475.  Smitten  with  Leprosy, 
cir.  765. — Uzziah,  elated  with 


Israel — Jeroboam  IT. 

469.  13.  Jeroboam  II.,  825 

-784. — Son  of  Joash,  had  been 
made  king  whilst  his  father  was 
engaged  in  the  Syrian  war,  but 
now  reigned  alone  forty-one 
years.  2  Kings  xiv.  23.  Pro- 
phets— Amos,  Hosea,  and  Jonah. 

471.  Decline  of  the  Syrian 
Power. — The  power  of  Damas- 
cus, which  under  Benhadad  II. 
and  Hazael  appears  to  have  ex- 
tended over  nearly  the  whole  of 
Syria,  was  now  on  the  decline. 
The  cause  is  unknown.  A  civil 
war  may  have  arisen  between 
the  states  which  had  been  uni- 
ted into  one  kingdom,  or  the 
growing  might  of  Nineveh  had 
begun  to  seize  the  provinces  on 
the  frontier.  But  the  three  vic- 
tories promised  by  Elisha  to 
Joash  had  procured  the  recov- 
ery of  the  cities  west  of  the  Jor- 
dan, which  had  been  seized  by 
Hazael  (sect.  465);  and  the  proph- 
et Jonah  now  promised  Jero- 
boam the  recovery  of  Israel  east 
of  the  river.  2  Kings  xiv.  25,  26. 

473.  Brilliant  Successes 
ag-ainst  Syria ;  flourishing 
period  of  Israelite  History, 
822. — Jeroboam  II.  now  recov- 
ered all  the  territory  east  of  the 
Jordan,  from  Hamath  to  the 
Dead  Sea,  which  had  been  tak- 
en by  Hazael  (sect.  453),  and 
marching  into  Syria  he  recon- 
quered Hamath  and  Damascus. 
(See  sect.  329.)  Jeroboam,  how- 
ever, walked  in  the  sins  of  Jero- 
boam I.,  and  worshipped  the 
golden  calves.  2  Kings  xiv.  24- 
28. 

476.  Cir.  7  SI  .—Amos  proph- 


220 


2   KINGS. 


B.  c.  884-721. 


Judall — Jotham,  Ahaz. 

prosperity,  entered  the  temple 
to  burn  incense.  Azariah  and 
eighty  other  priests  remonstrated 
with  him  in  vain,  and  whilst  the 
censer  was  in  his  hand  an  incur- 
able leprosy  rose  in  his  forehead. 
Jotham  his  son  was  vice-regent. 
2  Kings  XV.  5 ;  2  Chron.  xxvi. 
16-21. 

480.  B.  C.  760-698.— Isa- 
iah prophesied.  See  Prophetical 
Books — Isaiah. 

481.  11.  Jotham,  758-742. 
— Son  of  Uzziah.  Beigned  six- 
teen years.  Prophets — Isaiah 
and  Micah. 

483.  Kei^ned  righteously 
and  prosperously.  —  Jotham 
reigned  righteously,  and  con- 
tinued the  improvements  and 
plans  of  his  father.  He  built 
many  fortresses,  and  erected  tlie 
west  gate  of  the  temple,  and 
obliged  tlie  Ammonites  to  pay 
tribute.  2  Kings  xv.  32-35; 
2  Chron.  xxvii.  1-6. 

485.  B.  C.  750-710.— Mi- 
cah prophesied.  See  Prophetical 
Books — Micah. 

487.  12.  Ahaz,  742-726.— 
S<m  of  Jotham.  Reigned  six- 
teen years.  Prophets — Isaiah 
and  Micah. 

488.  Worships  Baal  and 
Molech. — Ahaz  was  the  most 
corrupt  monarch  that  had  hith- 
erto belonged  to  the  line  of 
David.  He  adopted  the  idol- 
atry of  Ahab  and  made  molten 


Israel — Zechariah-Pekahiah. 

esied.     See  Prophetical   Books— 
Amos. 

477.  Cir.  785.— Hosea  pro- 
phesied. See  Prophetical  Books — 
Hosea. 

478.  INTERREGNUM,  784 
-773,  lasting  eleven  years,  dur- 
ing which  no  king  reigned. 

479.  14.  Zecliariali,  773. 
Prophet — Hosea. — Son  of  Jer- 
oboam II.,  waliied  in  the  sins  of 
.Jeroboam,  and  was  assassinated 
by  Shallum  after  reigning  six 
months.  2  Kings  xv.  8-12. 

482.  15.  Shallum,  772.— 
Son  of  Jabesh,  reigned  one 
month,  and  assassinated  by  Me- 
nahem.  2  Kings  xv.  13-15. 

484.  16.  Menahem,  772- 
761.— Son  of  Gadi,  from  Tirzah, 
walked  in  the  ways  of  Jero- 
boam I.  in  worshipping  the  gold- 
en calves.  Reigned  ten  years. 
I'rophet — Hosea.  2  Kings  xiv. 
17,  18. 

486.  First  Assyrian  Inya- 
sion  under  Pul.— Pul,  king  of 
Assyria,*  invaded  Israel,  but 
Menahem  bribed  him  with 
1000  silver  talents  [113,839  lbs., 
about  £340,500]  to  return  to  his 
kingdom.  This  sum  was  raised 
by  making  the  wealthy  Israel- 
ites pay  fifty  shekels  [22|  oz.  = 
£5  13s.  lOd]  a  man.  2  Kings 
xiv.  19,  20  ;  xv.  16-22. 

489.  17.  Pekahiah,  761- 
759.  —  Son  of  Menahem. 
Eeigned  two  years.     Prophet 


-••  Nineveh,  or  Nimrond,  as  has  been  proved  by  the  recent  researches 
of  Mr.  Layard,  Avas  situated  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Tigris  and  near 
its  junction  with  the  Zab,  about  twenty  miles  south-east  of  the  modern 
town  of  Mosul.  The  history  of  Assyria  prior  to  the  present  period  is 
uncertain,  but,  to  use  the  words  of  Mr.  Layard,  "to  reject  the  notion  of 
the  existence  of  an  independent  kingdom  of  Assyria  at  the  very  earli- 
est period  would  be  almost  to  question  whether  the  country  were  in- 
habited." It  would  be  directly  in  opposition  to  the  united  testimony 
of  Scripture  and  tradition  ;  and  though  a  doubt  may  be  entertained  as 
to  the  dynasties,  there  is  none  as  to  its  existence. 


B.C.  884-721.  2   KINGS.  221 

Jiidah — Ahaz.  Israel — Pekah. 

images  for  Baalim;  he  sacri-  — Hosea.  He  walked  in  the 
ficed  in  the  vale  of  Hinnom  ways  of  Jeroboam  I.,  and  was 
and  in  groves  on  high  places ;  slain  by  one  of  his  generals 
and  he  made  his  son  to  pass  and  successor.  2  Kings  xv. 
through   the    fire  in    honor  of     23-26. 

Molech,  and  practised  all  the  490.  18.  Pekah,  759-739. 
abominations  of  the  heathen.  — Son  of  Eemaliah,  and  had 
2  Kings  xvi.  1-4 ;  2  Chron.  assassinated  Pekahiah.  He 
xxviii.  1-4.  worshipped   the    golden    calves 

like  Jeroboam  I.,  and  reigned 
twenty  years.  2  Kings  xiv.  27, 
28.  Prophets  —  Hosea  and 
Oded. 

491.  Pekah  and  Reziii  ally;  inyade  Judah,  742. — Pekah, 
king  of  Israel,  now  formed  an  alliance  with  Rezin,  who  appears 
to  have  re-established  the  kingdom  of  Syria.  The  two  kings  then 
invaded  the  territory  of  Ahaz  and  besieged  Jerusalem,  with  the 
intention  of  placing  an  individual  alluded  to  as  the  son  of  Tabeal 
(Isa.  vii.  6)  on  the  throne  of  Judah.  The  enterprise  was  unsuc- 
cessful, but  Rezin  seems  to  have  marched  southward  and  taken  and 
occupied  the  port  of  Elath  on  the  Red  Sea.  Isaiah  then  prophesied 
to  Ahaz  the  destruction  of  both  Pekah  and  Rezin  [which  was  after- 
ward accomplished  by  the  arms  of  Tiglath-pileser]  ;  and  he  also 
delivered  as  a  sign-the  well-known  prediction, 

"Behold  a  virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  son, 
And  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel."  Isa.  vii.  14. 

2  Kings  xvi.  5,  6. 

492.  Second  InTasiou  of  Pekah  and  Bezin,   741.— Next 

year  Pekah  and  Rezin  again  invaded  Judah,  and  defeated  Ahaz 
with  the  slaughter  of  120,000  men ;  and  Rezin  took  a  multitude 
of  captives  to  Damascus,  whilst  Pekah  carried  away  200,000 
women  and  children  and  a  large  quantity  of  plunder  to  Samaria. 
But  the  prophet  Oded  remonstrated  with  Pekah  against  enslaving 
the  children  of  Judah,  and  the  elders  of  the  national  assembly  * 
positively  declared  that  the  captives  should  not  be  brought  into 
the  land  ;  and  accordingly  Pekah  relieved  the  prisoners  out  of  the 
spoil  and  returned  them  to  their  own  country.  2  Chron.  xxviii. 
5-15. 

493.  Ahaz  applies  to  Tiglath-pileser;  Second  Assyrian  In- 
vasion; Syria  and  east  of  Jordan  enslaved,  740.— The  Edom- 
ites  now  invaded  Judah  and  carried  off  numerous  prisoners,  and 
the  Philistines  plundered  the  cities  on  the  southern  borders,  whilst 

•■'•  In  the  text  they  are  called  the  elders  of  Ephraim,  but  this  name 
only  appears  to  have  been  adopted  by  the  ten  tribes  after  their  separa- 
tion from  Judah. 

19* 


222  2   KINGS.  B.  c.  884-721. 

Ahaz  was  probably  threatened  by  a  third  invasion  of  the  kings 
of  Israel  and  Syria,  In  this  extremity  the  king  of  Judah  sent 
gold  and  silver  from  the  treasures  of  the  temple  and  palace  as  a 
present  to  Tiglath-pileser  [or  Tigeath-pul-assur— ?".  e.  the 
tiger  lord  of  Assyria]  to  come  to  his  assistance.  Tiglath-pileser, 
who  had  ascended  the  throne  of  Assyria  in  the  room  of  his 
father  Pul,  then  marched  an  army  westward,  defeated  and  slew 
Kezin,  sent  the  inhabitants  to  Kir,  or  Assyria  Proper,  and  thus 
put  an  end  to  the  kingdom  of  Damascene  Syria.*     He  also  car- 

*  History  of  Syria. — Syria,  or  Aram  (from  Aram,  fifth  son  of  Shem), 
was  now  merged  in  the  Assyrian  empire.  It  was  bounded  on  the  east 
by  the  Euphrates,  west  by  the  Mediterranean,  north  by  Cilicia,  and 
south  by  Phoenicia,  Judaa,  and  Arabia  Deserta. 

Cir.  B.  C.  1055. — Before  the  time  of  David,  Syria  was  divided  into 
cantons  and  governed  by  petty  kings,  each  of  whom  reigned  in  his  own 
city  and  territories.  These  petty  kingdoms  are  frequently  mentioned 
under  the  names  of  Zobah,  Damascus,  Hamath,  Geshur,  Rehob,  Ishtob, 
Maachah,  etc. 

Hadadezer,  1040-1036,  was  king  of  Zobah,  and  conquered  by  David, 
who  after  two  brilliant  victories  extended  his  dominions  to  the  Euphra- 
tes. (See  sect.  329.)  Contemporary  with  Hadadezer  were  Toi,  king  of 
Hamath,  who  sent  his  son  Joram  to  congratulate  David  on  his  victories 
over  Hadadezer;  and  Talmai,  king  of  Geshur,  whose  daughter  Ma- 
achah married  David  and  became  the  mother  of  Absalom,  and  to  whom 
Absalom  fled  after  the  murder  of  his  brother  Amnon.  2  Sam.  viii.  9; 
xiii.  37.  After  the  defeat  of  Hadadezer,  Rezon,  one  of  his  captains, 
fled  from  him  and  reigned  in  Damascus.     (See  sect.  362.) 

Rezon,  or  Hezion,  cir.  975. — During  Solomon's  reign  Rezon,  supposed 
to  be  the  same  as  Hezion  (1  Kings  xv.  18),  seems  to  have  thrown  off 
the  Jewish  yoke  and  founded  the  Syrian  kingdom. 

Tabrimon,  cir.  960. — Father  of  Benhadad  I.  and  son  of  Hezion  or 
Rezon. 

Benhadad,  941. — Succeeded  his  father.  He  assisted  Asa,  king  of 
Judah,  ravaged  Israel,  and  compelled  Baasha  to  give  up  the  building 
of  Ramah  (sects.  389,  390). 

Benhadad  II.,  910-885. — Invaded  Israel  B.  c.  901,  accompanied  by 
thirty-two  petty  kings,  but  was  defeated  by  Ahab  (sec.  411). 

B.  c.  900.  Thought  Jehovah  was  God  only  of  the  Mile,  and  therefore 
attacked  Ahab  in  the  valley  of  Aphek,  but  was  defeated  with  great 
slaughter.     Fled  to  Aphek,  but  Ahab  allied  with  him  (sect.  412). 

B.  c.  894.  Sent  Naaman,  the  Syrian  leper,  to  Jehoram,  king  of  Israel, 
to  be  cured  (sect.  430). 

B.  c.  893.  Prepared  to  attack  Israel,  but  his  secret  counsels  were  re- 
vealed to  Jehoram  by  Elisha  (sect.  431). 

B.  c.  892.  Blockaded  Samaria  and  caused  a  terrible  famine,  but,  hear- 
ing a  noise  of  chariots  and  horses,  he  and  his  army  fled,  and  his  camp- 
stores  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  (sect.  433). 

B.  c.  885.   Stifled  by  Hazael,  according  to  Elisha's  prophecy  (sect.  440). 

Hazael,  885-839. — Ravaged  Ramoth-gilead  (sect.  440). 

B.  C.  861.     Attacked  the  Israelites  east  of  the  Jordan  (sect.  453). 

B.  c.  850-840.  Oppressed  Israel,  captured  Gath,  and  prepared  to 
attack  Jerusalem,  but  bribed  to  return  back  by  Joash,  king  of  Judah 
(sect.  456).     B.  c,  839.     Died  (sect.  458). 


B.  c.  884-721. 


2   KINGS. 


223 


ried  away  the  tribes  east  of  the  Jordan — Kenben,  Gad,  and  half 
Manasseh — captives  to  Media,  where  they  were  planted  in  Halah, 
Habor,  and  on  the  river  Gozan ;  and  to  these  he  added  the  other 
half  of  Manasseh,  which  was  seated  in  Galilee.  He  thus  relieved 
Ahaz,  but  we  are  subsequently  told  that  he  "distressed  him,  but 
strengthened  him  not."  2  Kings  xvi.  7-9;  2  Chron.  xxviii 
16-21. 
B,  C.  753.    Rome  was  founded,  according  to  Varro. 


Judah — Ahaz,  Hezekiah. 

491.  Ahaz  worships  the 
Grods  of  Damascus. — Ahaz 
now  went  to  Damascus  to  meet 
Tiglath-pileser.  Here  he  saw 
an  idolatrous  altar,  and  sent  a 
model  of  it  to  Urijah  the  priest, 
with  directions  to  build  one  like 
it ;  and  upon  his  return  to  Jeru- 
salem he  sacrificed  on  this  altar 
to  the  gods  of  Damascus,  shut  up 
the  temple,  broke  up  the  sacred 
vessels,  and  established  idolatry 
tliroughout  Judah.  2  Kings  xvi. 
10-18  ;  2  Chron.  xxviii.  22-25. 

499.  Sun-dial  of  Ahaz.— 
Allusion  is  subsequently  made 
to  the  sun-dial  of  Ahaz  (see  the 
reign  of  Plezekiah),  and  this  is 
the  first  mention  in  Scripture  of 
the  use  of  dials  for  measuring 
time.  The  fii-st  mention  of  hours 
as  a  division  of  the  day  is  in 
Dan.  iv.  19  and  in  Tobit  xi.  14. 

501.  13.  Hezekiah,  72G- 
608.— Son  of  Ahaz.  Keigned 
nineteen  years.  Prophets — 
Isaiah  and  Micah. 

502.  Breaks    the    Serpent 


Israel— HbsAea. 

495.  Pekah  slain  by  Ho- 
shea,  739. — Hoshea,  son  of 
Elah,  formed  a  conspiracy  against 
Pekah  and  slew  him,  and  ascend- 
ed the  throne  in  his  stead.  2 
Kings  XV.  30. 

496.  INTERREGNUM,  739- 
730.  —  Anarchy    for    nine 

YEARS. 

497.  19.  Hoshea,  730-721. 

— Son  of  Elah.     Keigned  nine 
years.     Prophet — Hosea. 

498.  Better  than  his  Pre- 
decessors.— The  regicide  Ho- 
shea seems  to  have  reigned  bet- 
ter than  the  kings  before  him, 
though  he  followed  in  many  of 
their  sins.  He  allowed  Heze- 
kiah of  Judah  to  send  messen- 
gers throughout  Israel  to  invite 
the  people  to  the  passover  at 
Jerusalem,  and  did  not  prevent 
his  subjects  from  accepting  the 
invitation.  2  Kings  xvii.  1,  2; 
2  Chron.  xxx.  6-11. 

500.  Tliird  Assyrian  Inva- 
sion ;  Shalmaneser  makes 
Hoshea     tributary,     728.— 


Benhadad  III.,  cir.  839. — Joash,  king  of  Israel,  obtained  three  victo- 
ries over  him,  and  recovered  the  cities  west  of  the  Jordan  taken  by 
Hazael,  according  to  Elisha's  prophecy  (sect.  465). 

B.  c.  822.  Decline  of  the  Syrian  power.  Jeroboam  II.  of  Israel  re- 
covers all  the  territory  east  of  the  Jordan,  and  conquers  Hamath  and 
Damascus  (sect.  471). 

Rezin,  cir.  742-740. — In  B.  c.  742  he  joined  Pekah,  king  of  Israel,  in 
an  expedition  against  Ahaz,  king  of  Judah,  which  failed  (sect.  491). 
,  B.  c.  741.     Renewed  the  war,  and  was  successful  (sect.  492). 

B.  c.  740.  Tiglath-pileser  was  bribed  by  Ahaz,  and,  taking  Damascus, 
he  slew  Kezin  and  carried  the  Syrians  captive  to  Kir,  or  Assyria  Proper 
(sect.  493). 


*>-24 


2  KINGS. 


B.  c.  884-721. 


Judah — Hezekiah. 

and  destroys  Idolatry.— Heze- 
kiah began  to  reign  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five  years.  His  first 
acts  were  to  thoroughly  extirpate 
idolatry  throughout  his  domin- 
ions, and  even  to  remove  the 
high  places,  which  his  predeces- 
sors had  preserved.  Amongst 
other  things  he  destroyed  the 
brazen  serpent  which  Moses  had 
elevated  in  the  wilderness  (sect. 
228),  and  before  which  incense 
had  been  burned  until  his  own 
time.  2  Kings  xviiL  4. 

504.  Restores  the  Worship 
of  Jehoyah  and  celebrates 
the  Passover.— Hezekiah  now 
purified  the  temple,  reinstated 
the  priests  and  restored  their 
courses,  and  caused  the  passover 
to  be  kept  with  great  solemnity 
for  fourteen  days,  assembling 
the  people  from  the  eleven  tribes 
of  Israel,  which  had  not  been 
done  since  the  days  of  Solomon. 
2  Kings  xviii.  3,  5,  6 ;  2  Chron. 
xxix.  11-36  ;  xxx. ;  xxxi. 

506.  Rebels  against  Shal- 
maneser:  defeats  the  Philis- 
tines, 725. — Hezekiah  now  re- 
fused to  pay  the  annual  tribute  

to  Shalmaneser  which  Tiglath- 

pileser  had  exacted  from  his  507.  Colonization  of  Sama- 
father,  Ahaz  (sect.  493).  He  ria;  Origin  of  the  Samari- 
also  invaded  the  Philistine  terri-  tans,  6  7  8. — Esarhaddon,  who 
tory,  and  subdued  it  as  far  as  succeeded  to  Sennacherib  on  the 
Gaza.  2  Kings  xviii.  7,  8.  throne  of  Assyria,   carried   off 

the  remnant  that  still  remained 
in   Israel,   and   sent  men   from 
Babylon,  Cuthah,  Ava,  Hamath, 
and  Sepharvaim  to  colonize  Sa- 
maria, who  then  took  the  name 
of  Samaritans  or  Cuthseans.     These  colonists  being  afterward,  on 
account  of  their  idolatry,  troubled  with  lions,  Esarhaddon,  at  their 
request,  sent  them  a  priest  to  instruct   them  in  the  worship  of 
Jehovah,  whom  they  supposed  to  be  the  local  god,  and  therefore 
the  only  one  who  could  preserve  them  in  Samaria.     The  colonists, 
however,  set  up  the  gods  of  the  various  nations  to  which  they 
belonged,   and  mingled    their  worship  with   that    of   Jehovah. 


Israel— ^osAea. 

Shalmaneser,  who  appears  to 
have  succeeded  Tiglath-pileser 
on  the  throne  of  Assyria,  now  in- 
vaded Israel,  and  made  Hoshea 
tributary.  2  Kings  xvii.  3. 

503.  Hoshea  rebels,  and  is 
Imprisoned,  725. -Hoshea 
now  appears  to  have  envied  the 
freedom  and  success  of  Heze- 
kiah, who  had  refused  to  pay 
tribute  to  Shalmaneser.  Accord- 
ingly, he  made  a  treaty  with  So, 
king  of  Egypt,  and  either  the 
Sabacon  or  Sethon  of  Herodotus 
(xxx.  1-7),  and  refused  to  pay 
tribute,  though  Isaiah  strongly 
reprehended  the  alliance.  Shal- 
maneser then  sent  for  Hoshea, 
and  imprisoned  him ;  and  the 
king  of  Egypt  made  no  attempt 
to  come  to  the  assistance  of  the 
latter.  2  Kings  xvii.  4. 

505.  Siege  of  Samaria,  and 
Captivity  of  Israel,  723- 
721.  —  Shalmaneser  besieged 
Samaria,  and  took  it  after  three 
years'  siege,  and  carried  away 
Israel  captive  beyond  the  Eu- 
phrates. 2  Kings  xvii.  5-23 ; 
xviii.  9-12. 


B.  c.  713.  2   KINGS  XVIII.  225 

Eventually,  after  many  Israelites  had  been  incorporated  amongst 
them,  and  they  had  erected  a  temple  on  Mount  Gerizim,  they 
abandoned  idolatry,  and  worshipped  Jehovah  only. 

Third  Period. — From  the  Assyrian  Captivity  of  Israel 
until  the  Babylonian  Captivity  of  Judah.  b.  c.  721- 
588  =  134  years. 

508.  First  Assyrian  Invasion  of  Judah;  Heze- 
Jdah  submits  to  Sennachei^ibf  713, — Sennacherib — or 
Sargon,  as  he  is  called  by  Isaiah — succeeded  his  father, 
Shalmaneser,  on  the  throne  of  Assyria,  B.  c.  715,  and  in 
B.  c.  713  prepared  to  punish  the  disaiFection  of  Hezekiah. 
The  inhabitants  of  Judah  were  now  alarmed,  and  though 
it  does  not  appear  that  the  king  himself  despatched  any 
embassy  to  Egypt,  yet  his  nobles,  in  spite  of  the  remon- 
strances of  Isaiah  (xxx.-xxxii.),  sent  camels  and  asses 
laden  with  treasure  to  ask  aid  from  Pharaoh  [Sethon],* 
and  especially  to  request  a  force  of  cavalry  and  chariots. 
The  weak  parts  of  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  were  mended ; 
a  second  wall  was  added,  and  towers  and  fortifications 
were  erected,  and  the  fountains  in  the  neighborhood  were 
stopped  up.  Hezekiah  himself  encouraged  the  people  by 
his  confidence  in  Jehovah.  Whilst,  however,  Sennacherib 
was  approaching  Jerusalem,  Hezekiah  sent  to  offer  him 
an  unqualified  submission,  and  a  fine  of  three  hundred 
talents  of  silver  [34,151  lbs.  9  oz.  =  £122,455  5s.]  and 
thirty  talents  of  gold  [3415  lbs.  2  oz.  =  £163,928]  was  im- 
posed upon  him.  Hezekiah  paid  the  sum,  though  he  was 
compelled  to  exhaust  the  sacred  treasures,  and  even  to 
strip  the  gold  from  the  doors  and  pillars  of  the  temple ; 
and  Sennacherib  then  retired.  2  Kings  xviii.  13-16. 

509.  Sennacherib  takes  Ashdod  and  again  in- 
vades Judah. — Sennacherib  now  took  Ashdod  in  Phi- 
listia,  one  of  the  keys  of  Egypt,  and  then  appears  to 
have  thought  it  would  be  unsafe  to  invade  the  latter  coun- 
try whilst  Judah  remained  still  unsubdued  in  his  rear. 
Accordingly,  he  again  invaded  the  territories  of  Heze- 
kiah ;    took   all   the   fenced   cities,  except   Libnah   and 

*■  We  learn  from  Herodotus  that  Sethon  was  priest  of  Vulcan,  and 
had  neglected  the  military  caste,  who  accordingly  refused  to  obey  hia 
orders.  This  may  account  for  his  not  marching  to  the  assistance  of 
Hezekiah. — Herod.,  ii.  141. 

P 


226  2   KINGS   XVIIL,   XIX.  b.  c.  713. 

Lachish,  to  which  he  laid  siege ;  and  sent  by  Eabshakeh 
and  two  other  of  his  generals  a  haughty  summons  to  Jeru- 
salem, requiring  its  immediate  surrender.  The  latter  also 
uttered  blasphemies  and  disparaging  expressions  respect- 
ing Jehovah ;  they  alluded  to  the  fallacy  of  expecting  aid 
from  Egypt ;  and  they  endeavored  to  persuade  the  Jews 
to  give  hostages  and  pay  homage  by  presents  to  the  king 
of  Assyria,  by  promising  to  leave  them  in  peace  until 
Sennacherib  should  carry  them  away  to  a  land  of  corn 
and  wine,  like  their  own  land.*  Eabshakeh,  however, 
returned  without  success  to  his  master,  whom  he  found 
besieging  Libnah,  whilst  Isaiah  prophesied  the  destruction 
of  the  Assyrian  host :  "  Behold,  I  will  send  a  blast  upon 
him."  2  Kings  xviii.  17-37  ;  xix.  1-8 ;  2  Chron.  xxxii. 
1-20 ;  Isa.  xxxvi. ;  xxxvii.  1-8. 

510.  Sennacherib  called  away  hy  the  Invasion  of 
TirJiakah;  Destruction  of  his  Army, — Just  at  this 
time  the  news  arrived  at  Libnah  that  Tirhakah,  king  of 
Ethiopia,t  was  on  his  march  to  repel  Sennacherib.  The 
Assyrian  king  sent  a  boastful  letter  to  Hezekiah,  defying 
the  God  of  Israel  and  threatening  destruction  on  his  re- 
turn, but  his  message  of  defiance  was  met  by  a  splendid 
piece  of  inspired  eloquence  from  Isaiah,  which  we  still 
read  with  interest  and  admiration.  2  Kings  xix.  21-84. 
But  the  career  of  Sennacherib  was  almost  closed,  and  the 
very  next  night  the  Angel  of  Jehovah  went  out  and 
smote  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians  185,000  men. J     Sen- 

*  This  was  exactly  the  spirit  in  which  Darius,  son  of  Hystaspis,  sub- 
sequently transplanted  the  Paeonians  from  the  Strymon  into  Asia.— 
Herod.,  V.  12-14. 

f  This  Ethiopia  appears  to  answer  to  the  country  called  by  the  ancients 
Meroe,  and  by  the  moderns  Sennanr  and  Atbar.  It  is  a  large  triangle 
formed  by  the  Nile  on  the  west,  the  Tacazze,  a  tributary  of  the  Nile,  on 
the  east,  and  the  highlands  of  Abyssinia  on  the  south.  The  desert  of 
Nubia  divides  it  from  Egypt,  but  its  monarchs  often  held  possession  of 
Upper  or  Southern  Egypt.  It  is  therefore  probable  that  Tirhakah,  who 
is  also  in  Manetho's  list  of  Ethiopian  kings  of  Egypt,  reigned  in  the 
Thebais,  or  the  upper  country,  whilst  So,  or  Sethon,  reigned  in  Lower 
Egypt.     (See  also  Herod.,  ii.  IST',) 

X  Destruction  of  the  Assyrian  Army. — Respecting  the  means  by  which 
the  Assyrian  army  was  destroyed,  the  Targum  and  Babylonian  Talmud 
say  it  was  by  lightning.  Isaiah  refers  to  a  blast  (xxxvii.  7),  and  prob- 
ably it  was  efiTected  by  a  hot  wind,  or  simoom.  Herodotus  relates  that 
at  night  multitudes  of  field-mice  ate  up  the  bow-strings,  quivers,  and 
shield-handles  of  the  invaders,  who  were  thus  easily  defeated  on  the 


B.  c.  712-643.  2   KINGS   XIX.,   XX.  227 

nacherib  himself  fled  to  Nineveh,  and  in  revenge  mur- 
dered many  captive  Jews,  but  was  killed  shortly  after- 
ward by  his  two  eldest  sons  whilst  he  was  worshipping  in 
the  temple  of  Nisroch  ;*  and  Esarhaddon  his  son  reigned 
in  his  stead.  This  blow  so  weakened  the  Assyrian  mon- 
archy as  not  only  to  free  the  king  of  Judah  from  his  ap- 
prehensions, but  enabled  the  Medes  and  Babylonians  to 
assert  their  independence.  [Herodotus  dates  the  revolt 
of  the  Medes  B.C.  711.]  2  Kings  xix.  9-37;  2  Chron. 
xxxii.  21,  22 ;  Isa.  xxxvii.  9-38. 

511.  ITezekiah's  Sickness^  712. — Hezekiah  fell  sick, 
and  Isaiah  predicted  his  death,  but  the  king  prayed  to 
God,  and  Isaiah  promised  him  fifteen  years  additional 
life,  and  confirmed  it  by  the  miracle  of  the  sun's  going 
back  ten  degrees  on  the  dial  of  Ahaz.  2  Kings  xx.  1-11 ; 
2  Chron.  xxxii.  24 ;  Isa.  xxxviii. 

512.  3Iessengers  from  Merodacli-Baladanf  Idng 
of  Babylon, — Merodach-Baladan,  king  of  Babylon, 
sent  to  congratulate  Hezekiah  on  his  recovery  from  sick- 
ness and  on  his  delivery  from  the  Assyrians,  through 
which  Merodach  himself  had  been  enabled  to  establish 
his  independence  in  Babylon.  Hezekiah  treated  the  am- 
bassadors with  the  utmost  respect,  and  showed  them  all 
his  treasures  ;  but  for  this  vanity  Isaiah  foretold  the  Bab- 
ylonian captivity,  which  took  place  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  years  after.  Hezekiah  then  humbled  himself, 
and  the  threatened  punishment  was  postponed  until  after 
his  death.  2  Kings  xx.  12-19  ;  Isa.  xxxix. 

513.  Peaceful  State  of  Judah,  709-698 —Heze- 
kiah  now  reigned  in  peace,  increased  in  riches,  built  cities, 
and  brought  water  into  Jerusalem  through  reservoirs  and 
conduits.  Meantime,  Esarhaddon,  who  had  succeeded 
his  father  Sennacherib  on  the  throne  of  Assyria,  recovered 
the  allegiance  of  the  Babylonian  kingdom.  2  Kings  xx. 
20  ;  2  Chron.  xxxii.  27-30. 

514.  14.  Manasseh,  698-643. — Son  of  Hezekiali. 
Reigned  fifty-five  years.     Prophet — Isaiah. 

ensuing  day.  This  story  is  supposed  to  have  arisen  from  the  similarity 
of  the  words  Aa/ias,  "  a  mouse,"  and  Xoi/xb?,  "  a  pestilence."  Prideaux, 
passim,  and  Baehr's  note  to  Herod.,  ii.  141. 

*  The  eagle-headed  god.  Zoroaster  says,  "  (rod  is  he  that  has  the 
head  of  a  hawk." — Layard. 


228  2   KINGS   XXI.  B.  c.  677-610. 

515.  Restores  Idolatry  and  Necromancy. — Manas- 
seh  ascended  the  throne  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  it 
seems  to  have  been  the  special  object  of  his  reign  to  over- 
throw all  the  good  which  his  father  Hezekiah  had  done 
for  Judah.  He  practised  all  the  sins  of  Ahab  and  Ahaz. 
He  rebuilt  the  high  places,  set  up  altars  to  Baal  and  As- 
tarte,  and  worshipped  the  host  of  heaven  like  the  Sabseans. 
He  used  enchantments,  dealt  with  wizards  and  necro- 
mancers, and  observed  times  by  astrology  or  other  methods 
of  superstition  ;  and  when  he  had  a  son  old  enough  he 
made  him  pass  through  the  fire  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom. 
Moreover,  he  set  up  altars  to  the  host  of  heaven  in  the 
two  courts  of  the  temple,  and  introduced  a  graven  image 
into  the  sanctuar5\  He  also  carried  on  a  fearful  persecu- 
tion, and  shed  innocent  blood  very  much,  until  he  had 
filled  Jerusalem  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Isaiah  se- 
verely remonstrated  with  him,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
been  martyred  in  consequence.  2  Kings  xxi.  1-16;  2 
Chron.  xxxiii.  1-10. 

516.  Carried  into  Assyrian  Captivity  by  Esarhad^ 
don,  677  f  linnihles  Mmself. — Esarhaddon's  captains 
now  invaded  Judah,  and  in  order,  probably,  to  prevent 
another  disaffection,  they  carried  Manasseh  in  chains  to 
Babylon.  Here  the  king  humbled  himself,  and  the  Lord 
heard  him  and  brought  him  back  to  his  kingdom,  and  he 
then  eradicated  idolatry,  restored  the  worship  of  Jehovah, 
and  fortified  Jerusalem  and  his  fenced  cities.  2  Chron. 
xxxiii.  11-20. 

517.  15,  Amon,  643-641, — Son  of  Manasseh,  suc- 
ceeded, and  restored  idolatry.  He  was  slain  by  his  ser- 
vants after  reigning  two  years,  but  the  conspirators  were 
again  slain  by  the  people.  2  Kings  xxi.  19-26 ;  2  Chron. 
xxxiii.  21-25. 

518.  16,  Josiah,  641-610. — Son  of  Amon.  Eeigned 
thirty-one  years.  Prophets — Zephaniah,  Jeremiah,  Ha- 
bakkuk,  and  Huldah  the  prophetess. 

519.  Seeks  God  in  his  youth;  purges  tTudah  and 
Israel  from  Idolatry, — Josiah  ascended  the  throne  in 
the  eighth  year  of  his  age,  and  in  the  eighth  year  of  his 
reign,  when  he  was  only  sixteen  years  old,  he  began  to 
seek  after  the  God  of  his  fathers.  In  the  twelfth  year  of 
his  reign  he  began  to  purge  the  land  from  idolatry.     His 


B.  c.  630-624. 


2   KINGS   XXIL,   XXIII.  229 


rule  seems  to  have  extended  over  both  Judah  and  Israel, 
and  embraced  all  the  territory  west  of  the  Jordan,  for  he 
broke  down  the  altars  of  Baal,  cut  down  the  groves,  and 
the  carved  and  molten  images,  not  only  in  Judah  and  Je- 
rusalem, but  also  throughout  all  the  land  of  Israel.  2 
Kings  xxii.  1,  2 ;  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  1-7. 

520.  Olr.  B.  C,  630,  ZejjhaniaJi  prophesied.  See 
Prophetical  ^oo^s— Zephaniah. 

521.  B,  a  629.  Jeremiah  began  to  2^rophesy.  See 
Prophetical  _Boo^'s— Jeremiah. 

522.  Ou\  B.  a  626,  Hahakkiik  prophesied.  See 
Prophetical  J5oo^5— Habakkuk. 

523.  Bepairs  the  Temple,  6^:^.— Josiah  in  the  eight- 
eenth year  of  his  reign  determined  on  repairing  the  tem- 
ple at  Jerusalem,  and  ordered  the  great  chest  to  be  opened 
in  which  the  freewill  offerings,  etc.  were  deposited ;  and 
he  delivered  the  money  to  faithful  overseers,  Avho  were 
immediately  to  put  the  work  in  hand  and  pay  the  work- 
men. 2  Kings  xxii.  3-7  ;  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  8-13. 

524.  Booh  of  the  Latv  found  hy  HWdah,  and  con- 
firmed hy  Huldah,  6*;24.— Meantime,  Hilkiah  the 
priest,  and  father  of  Jeremiah,  found  in  the  treasury- 
chamber  an  original  copy  of  the  Law,  containing  the  fear- 
ful denunciations  of  Jehovah  against  all  idolatry.  The 
book  was  read  to  Josiah,  who  then  sent  to  inquire  of  the 
Lord  through  Huldah  the  prophetess.  Huldah  declared 
that  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  would  be  executed  upon  the 
land  for  its  idolatry,  but  not  in  the  time  of  Josiah.  The 
king  himself  then  read  the  book  publicly  to  the  people 
in  the  temple,  who  thereupon  entered  into  a  covenant  with 
Josiah  to  serve  the  Lord.  2  Kings  xxii.  8-20  ;  xxiii.  1-3 ; 
2  Chron.  xxxiv.  14-32. 

525.  The  Altar  of  Jet^ohoam  thrown  doivn, — A 
further  destruction  of  idolatry  followed,  and  Josiah  went 
to  Bethel,  and  took  "  the  altar  which  was  at  Bethel,  and 
the  high  place  which  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  who 
had  made  Israel  to  sin,  had  made,"  and  broke  them  down, 
"and  burned  the  high  place,  and  stamped  it  small  to 
powder,  and  burned  the  grove."  He  also  "  sent  and  took 
the  bones  "  of  the  deceased  priests  "  out  of  the  sepulchres, 
and  burned  them  upon  the  altar,  and  polluted  it ;"  thus 
ftilfilling  the  prediction  given  to  Jeroboam  three  hundred 

20 


230  2   KINGS   XXIII.  B.C.  623-610. 

and  Sxty  years  before.     (See  sect.  377.)  2  Kings  xxiii. 
4-20 ;  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  33. 

526.  Celebration  of  a  Soletnn  Passover,  623. — Af- 
ter this  Josiah  thoroughly  purified  the  land  from  idolatry, 
witchcraft,  and  wizards,  and  restored  the  ark  to  the  tem- 
ple, which  it  is  supposed  Manasseh  or  Amon  had  re- 
moved ;  and  he  and  the  people  celebrated  the  passover 
with  greater  strictness  and  solemnity  than  had  been  dis- 
played since  the  days  of  Samuel  the  prophet.  2  Kings 
xxiii.  21-25 ;  2  Chron.  xxxv.  1-19. 

527.  Decline  of  the  Assyrian  Empire  under  Esar- 
haddon,  SaosducJiinus,  and  Chyniladanus. — Mean- 
time, the  Assyrian  power  had  been  on  the  decline,  and 
Inner  Asia  had  been  the  theatre  of  great  revolutions. 
EsARHADDON,  the  succcssor  of  Sennacherib  (sect.  510), 
had  resubdued  the  Babylonians,  but  had  failed  in  re- 
ducing the  Medes.  His  son  Saosduchinus  was  the  Nebu- 
chadonosor  of  the  book  of  Judith,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Chyniladanus,  or  Sarac,  in  whose  reign  the  Chaldees 
revolted,  took  Babylonia,  and,  having  joined  the  Medes, 
succeeded  in  taking  Nineveh  and  overthrowing  the  As- 
syrian empire,  about  B.  c.  606.     (See  sect.  535.) 

528.  Invasion  of  JPharaoh-Necho ;  Josiah  slain, 
610, — Whilst  the  Assyrian  power  was  involved  in  wars 
with  the  Medes  and  Chaldees,  Egypt  had  been  consoli- 
dating its  strength.  When  we  last  mentioned  this  coun- 
try it  was  in  a  state  of  internal  struggles  between  the 
priests  and  military,  and  Tirhakah  the  Ethiopian  ruled 
in  Upper  Egypt  (sect.  510,  note,  and  sect.  508).  After 
this  a  civil  war  arose,  which  ended  in  the  division  of  the 
country  into  twelve  independent  kingdoms,  called  the 
Dodecarthy.  About  b.  c.  650,  Psammetichus,  one  of 
these  kings,  reigned  at  Sais,  and  by  the  adoption  of  Greek 
tactics  and  defensive  armor,  and  the  employment  of  Ca- 
rian  and  Ionian  mercenaries,  he  subdued  all  his  fellow-* 
kings  and  united  all  Egypt  under  a  single  sceptre.  •  The 
policy  of  the  Egyptian  monarchy  was  now  entirely 
changed ;  Greeks  were  permanently  established  in  Egypt 
as  merchants,  and  the  Egyptians  began  to  mingle  in  for- 
eign affairs.  Necho,  son  of  Psammetichus,  succeeded  to 
the  throne,  b.  c.  617,  being  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  the 
reign  of  Josiah.     He  cut  a  canal  from  the  Bed  Sea  to 


B.  c.  610-599.  2   KINGS   XXIII.  231 

the  Mediterranean  and  built  a  fleet  of  triremes, ^nd  at 
length  determined  to  attack  the  Assyrian  power.  His 
march  was  directed  to  Carchemish,  an  important  post  on 
the  Euphrates;  and  he  accordingly  followed  the  usual 
route  along  the  sea-coast  of  Palestine  northward.  Mean- 
time, Josiah  heard  of  the  expedition.  He  had  probably 
been  permitted  to  retain  his  kingdom  by  Assyria  on  con- 
dition of  defending  the  frontier  against  Egypt ;  and  ac- 
cordingly he  now  posted  his  forces  in  the  i3lain  of  Es- 
draelon,  or  Jezreel,  to  intercept  Necho.  The  latter  sent 
messengers  to  advise  Josiah  to  desist  from  interfering,  but 
in  vain.  A  battle  ensued,  and  Josiah,  who  went  out  in 
disguise,  was  slain  by  the  archers  in  the  valley  of  Me- 
giddo.  "  And  Jeremiah  lamented  for  Josiah ;  all  the 
singing-men  and  singing-women  spake  of  Josiah  in  their 
lamentations  to  this  day."  2  Kings  xxiii.  29,  30 ;  2  Chron. 
XXXV.  20-27. 

529.  17'  JehoahaZf  or  Shall/iitn,  610, — Son  of  Jo- 
siah, though  not  the  eldest,  and  was  made  king  by  the 
people.     Prophet — Jeremiah. 

530.  Iteigns  tvichedly  ;  deposed  hy  Necho. — Mean- 
time, Necho  pursued  his  course  to  the  Euphrates,  and 
after  three  months  returned  victorious,  having  captured 
Carchemish  and  defeated  the  Assyrians.  He  now  appears 
to  have  acted  as  lord-paramount  of  Judah.  He  put  Je- 
hoahaz  in  bands  at  Riblah  in  Hamath  in  Syria,  and  con- 
demned the  land  to  pay  in  tribute  one  hundred  talents  of 
silver  [£34,151]  and  one  talent  of  gold  [£5464].  He 
then  went  to  Jerusalem  and  placed  Eliakim,  son  of  Josiah, 
on  the  throne,  in  the  room  of  Jehoahaz,  and  changed  his 
name  to  Jehoiakim;  and  afterward  returned  to  Egypt, 
carrying  Jehoahaz  with  him  as  a  hostage.  2  Kings  xxiii. 
31-34 ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  1-4. 

531.  18.  JehoiciMm,  610-599.— ^on  of  Josiah. 
Reigned  eleven  years.  Prophets — Jeremiah,  Daniel, 
Urijah. 

532.  Iteigns  wickedly;  Jeremiah  and  Urijah 
prophesy  against  him, — The  first  act  of  Jehoiakim 
was  to  exact  from  the  people  the  tribute  which  Necho 
had  imposed.  He  reigned  wickedly,  and  Jeremiah  proph- 
esied against  Judah,  and  was  threatened  with  death,  but 
acquitted  because  he  spoke  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  as 


232  2   KINGS   XXIIl.  B.  c.  609-607. 

Micah  had  done  in  the  reign  of  Hezekiah.  Urijah  the 
prophet  also  prophesied  against  his  country,  and  was  com- 
pelled to  fly  to  Egypt,  but  brought  back  by  Jehoiakim's 
orders,  and  slain  and  buried  in  the  graves  of  the  common 
people.  2  Kings  xxiii.  34-37 ;  2  Chron.  xxxv.  5 ;  Jer. 
xxvi. 

533.  CJiarged  by  Jeremiah  ivith  tJie  Murder  of 
ZTrljaJif  609. — Jeremiah  charged  Jehoiakim  with  the 
murder  of  Urijah,  and  with  general  violence  and  oppres- 
sion, and  predicted  that  he  should  be  cast  out  of  Jerusa- 
lem and  buried  as  an  ass.  Jer.  xxii.  16-19. 

534.  Jeremiah  publicly  foretells  tlie  Seventy  Years' 
Captivity,  607. — Jeremiah  noAV  contrasted  the  apostasy 
of  the  Jews  with  the  obedience  of  the  Rechabites  to  their 
father,  Jehonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab,  in  drinking  no  wine, 
living  in  tents,  and  neither  possessing  nor  occupying  any 
houses,  fields,  or  vineyards  (sect.  201,  note).  (They  gained 
their  livelihood  by  being  scribes.)  Jeremiah  also  caused 
Baruch  to  write  his  prophecy  and  read  it  publicly  in  the 
temple,  and  foretold  the  conquest  of  Egypt  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, and  THE  SEVENTY  YEARS'  CAPTIVITY  OF  THE  JeW^S  : 

"  And  this  whole  land  shall  be  a  desolation,  and  an  aston- 
ishment ;  and  these  nations  shall  serve  the  king  of  Baby- 
lon seventy  years.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  when  sev- 
enty years  are  accomplished,  that  I  will  punish  the  kmg 
of  Babylon,  and  that  nation,  saith  the  Lord."  Jer.  xxv. 
11.  12.  "After  seventy  years  be  accomplished  at  Baby- 
lon, I  will  visit  you,  and  perform  my  word  toward  you, 
in  causing  you  to  return  to  this  place."  Jer.  xxix.  10. 

535.  Overthrow  of  the  Assyrian  JPoiver ;  Rise  of 
the  Medo-JPersian  and  Chaldee-Babylonian  Em- 
pires. — The  Assyrian  empire,  which  had  been  long  on 
the  wane,  was  about  this  time  overthrown  by  a  powerful 
combination  of  the  new  kingdoms  of  Media  and  Chaldee- 
Babylonia.  The  Medes  under  Deioces  had  revolted  from 
the  Assyrians  about  b.  c.  712,  after  the  destruction  of  the 
army  of  Sennacherib  (sect.  510),  and,  having  conquered 
the  Persians,  commenced  an  empire.  Gyaxares,  the  third 
in  the  Median  line  of  kings,  had  defeated  the  Assyrians 
and  besieged  Nineveh,  but  was  called  away  by  an  inva- 
sion of  the  Scythians,  a  nation  of  Tartary  which  had  come 
down  in  a  vast  body  upon  Media  from  the  country  north 


B.  c.  606. 


2   KINGS   XXIV.  233 


of  the  Caucasus,  and  held  a  rule  in  Inner  Asia  for  twenty- 
eight  years.  Meanwhile,  the  Chaldees,  who  anciently 
occupied  the  mountains  of  Armenia  and  had  been  sub- 
ject to  the  Assyrians,  revolted  from  the  rule  of  the  latter, 
and  under  the  Assyrian  general  Nabopolassar,  who  is  the 
first-mentioned  king  of  the  Chaldees,  and  the  father  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  they  seized  the  kingdom  of  Babylon.* 
Nabopolassar  afterward  allied  with  Cyaxares,  and  the  two 
powers  then  took  Nineveh  and  shared  the  Assyrian  em- 
pire, the  Medes  appropriating  Assyria  Proper,  and  leav- 
ing to  Nabopolassar  Babylonia  and  its  dependent  prov- 
inces, including  all  the  lower  country  of  Mesopotamia 
and  as  much  as  he  could  conquer  of  Syria. 

536.  JPharaoli-Necho  defeated  by  Nehucliadnezzar, 
— During  the  first  three  years  of  Jehoiakim's  reign  Necho 
had  been  pushing  his  conquests  eastward  to  the  border' 
of  the  Euphrates,  until  his  progress  was  stopped  by  the 
newly-risen  Chaldee  power.  Nabopolassar  was  fast  de- 
clining in  health,  and  had  confided  his  army  to  his  son 
Nebuchadnezzar,  who  obtained  a  decisive  victory  over 
Necho  at  Carchemish,  where  the  latter  had  formerly  been 
so  successful  against  Assyria.  The  death  of  Nabopolassar, 
hoAvever,  suddenly  recalled  Nebuchadnezzar  to  Babylon  ; 
but  as  soon  as  the  young  prince  had  secured  himself  on 
his  father's  throne  he  resumed  the  aggressive,  and  within 
a  year  of  his  victory  at  Carchemish  had  swept  off  every 
vestige  of  Egyptian  power  in  Syria,  and  presented  his  ir- 
resistible armies  on  the  eastern  side  of  Palestine. 

537.  Nebuchadnezzar  takes  Jerusalem;  makes 
tTelioiaMm  tributary ;  carries  off  Daniel  and  tJie 
Three  2noits  Jetvs,  606, — Nebuchadnezzar  soon  ap- 
peared in  Judsea  at  the  head  of  his  victorious  armies, 
and  no  help  from  Egypt  was  now  at  hand.  He  took  Je- 
rusalem after  a  short  siege,  and  plundered  the  temple, 
and  bound  Jehoiakim  in  fetters  to  carry  him  to  Baby- 
lon, but  liberated  him  on  condition  of  his  paying  a  large 
tribute  and  giving  hostages,  amongst  whom  were  Daniel 

^d  his  three  companions,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed- 
.  2  Kings  xxiv.  1 ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  Q-S ;  Dan.  i.  1-6. 


*  The  city  of  Babylon  was  seated  on  the  Euphrates,  about  two  hun- 
dred miles  to  the  south  of  Nineveh. 

20* 


234  2  KINGS  XXIV. 


B.  c.  605-599. 


From  this  date  is  calculated  the  commencement  of  the  seventy 
years'  captivity,  though  Judah  was  not  entirely  carried  away 
before  b.  c.  588. 

538.  Jeremiah's  Prophecies  again  puhlicly  read, 
JehoiaMm  seeks  to  Destroy  Jiifn,  605. — A  public  fast 
was  this  year  proclaimed  in  Jerusalem,  and  Baruch  read 
the  roll  of  Jeremiah's  prophecies  concerning  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity  publicly  in  the  temple  a  second  time. 
This  was  repeated  to  Jehoiakim,  who  then  heard  the  roll 
read  and  burnt  it,  and  sought  to  take  Baruch  and  Jere- 
miah, but  they  lay  concealed.  The  latter  by  God's  direc- 
tion then  prepared  another  roll  of  prophecy,  and  in  it 
declared  that  none  of  Jehoiakim's  posterity  should  as- 
cend the  throne,  and  that  his  own  carcass  should  be 
exposed  to  the  heat  by  day  and  the  frost  by  night. 
Jer.  xxxvi. 

539.  JehoiaMm  revolts  from  Nebuchadnezzar, 
603, — For  three  years  Jehoiakim  remained  faithful  to 
his  allegiance,  but  at  length  revolted.  Nebuchadnezzar 
appears  to  have  been  unable  to  come  in  person,  but  at 
length  sent  up  some  bands  of  Chaldees,  who  with  a  mixed 
army  of  the  neighboring  Syrians,  Moabites,  and  Ammo- 
nites ravaged  Judah  and  carried  away  3320  captives. 
2  Kings  xxiv.  1,  2. 

540.  Jerusalem  blockaded;  Jehoiakim  slain,  599, 
— At  length  Jerusalem  was  blockaded,  and  Jehoiakim  was 
taken  and  slain  in  a  sally,  and  his  body  thrown  out  be- 
yond the  gates ;  and  thus  he  was  buried  with  the  burial 
of  an  ass,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Jeremiah  (sect. 
533).  2  Kings  xxiii.  6;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  8. 

541.  Daniel  began  to  prophesy  in  this  reign.  See  Pro- 
phetical Books — Daniel. 

542.  19,  Jehoiachhi,  or  Jeconiah,  or  Coniah,  599, 
— Son  of  Jehoiakim.  Reigned  three  months.  Prophets 
— Jeremiah  and  Daniel. 

543.  Nebiichadiiezzar  besieges  Jerusalem  in  per- 
son; carries  away  10,000  captives,  599, — Jehoia- 
chin  reigned  wickedly  for  three  months,  when  Nebuchad- 
nezzar arrived  in  person  and  pressed  the  siege  of  Jerusalem 
with  vigor.  Jehoiachin,  with  his  mother,  princes,  servants, 
and  officers,  at  length  surrendered,  and  Nebuchadnezzar 
carried  them  and  10,000  captives,  including  Ezekiel  and 


B.  c.  599-590.  2   KINGS   XXIV.  235 

Mordecai,  to  Babylon,  together  with  the  treasures  of  the 
palace  and  temple,  as  predicted  by  Jeremiah  (sect.  534). 
None  remained  but  the  poorer  people.  Nebuchadnezzar 
then  made  Mattaniah,  uncle  of  Jehoiachin,  king  in  the 
room  of  the  latter,  and  changed  his  name  to  Zedekiah, 
and  bound  him  with  an  oath  to  maintain  fidelity.  2  Kings 
xxiv.  8-16 ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  9,  10. 

544.  ZedeMahf  599-588. — Youngest  son  of  Josiah 
and  uncle  of  Jehoiachin.  Reigned  eleven  years.  Proph- 
ets— Jeremiah,  Obadiali,  Daniel  and  Ezekiel. 

645.  False  ProjtJiets  ^>r6fZicf  tJie  speedy  Return 
from  Captivity f  598.— ^omQ  false  prophets  were  pre- 
dicting to  the  JewLsh  captives  at  Babylon  a  speedy  re- 
turn to  their  country,  when  Jeremiah  wrote  a  letter  rec- 
ommending the  latter  to  settle  quietly  in  the  land  of  their 
captivity.  Shemaiah  the  Nehelamite  then  wrote  from  Bab- 
ylon to  Jerusalem,  urging  the  priests  to  punish  Jeremiah 
for  prophesying  seventy  years'  captivity,  and  was  himself 
punished  by  Jeremiah's  declaring  that  neither  he  nor  his 
posterity  should  return  to  Judsea.  In  b.  c.  596,  Hananiah 
predicted  that  the  captivity  would  cease  in  two  years,  but 
Jeremiah  prophesied  that  he  would  die  within  the  year, 
which  was  accomplished.  Jer.  xxvii. ;  xxviii. 

546.  B,  C.  595. — Ezekiel  commences  his  prophetical 
career  by  the  river  Chebar  in  Chaldea.  See  Prophetical 
Books — Ezekiel. 

547.  Zedekiah  allies  with  Pharaoh  -  Hophra 
(Apries),  and  rebels,  593, — Necho,  king  of  Egypt, 
had  been  succeeded  by  his  son  Psammis,  who  died  after  a 
short  reign  of  six  years.  Hophra — called  by  the  Greeks 
Apries — ascended  the  throne  of  his  father  b.  c.  595.  He 
was  an  enterprising  and,  for  a  long  period,  a  successful 
prince.  He  took  Gaza,  and  made  himself  master  of 
Phoenicia  and  part  of  Palestine,  and  thus  recovered 
much  of  that  influence  in  Syria  which  the  Assyrians 
and  Babylonians  had  taken  from  Egypt.  With  this 
Hophra,  Zedekiah  formed  a  secret  compact,  and  then 
in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign  rebelled  against  Neb- 
uchadnezzar. 2  Kings  xxiv.  20;  2  Chron,  xxxvi.  13; 
Jer.  xxxvii.  5. 

548.  Nebuchadnezzar  besieges  Jerusalem;  JRetreat 
of  Hophra,  590, — From  this  period  Nebuchadnezzar 


236  2   KINGS   XXV.  B.  c.  589-588. 

seems  to  have  given  up  the  attempt  to  maintain  Judsea 
as  a  separate  state,  and  to  have  determined  on  incorpo- 
rating it  absolutely  as  a  province  with  his  empire.  He 
led  an  army  with  little  delay  into  Judsea,  and  besieged 
Jerusalem,  and  built  forts  outside  it  to  harass  the  coun- 
try and  repel  supplies.  Jeremiah  advised  the  king  to 
save  the  city  and  temple  by  unreserved  submission  to 
the  Chaldeans,  but  Zedekiah  trusted  in  his  Egyptian  al- 
liance; but,  as  it  was  a  sabbatical  year,  he  proclaimed 
liberty  to  all  the  Hebrew  servants  and  slaves  in  Jeru- 
ralem.  Hophra  at  the  head  of  an  Egyptian  army  now 
marched  to  the  relief  of  his  ally,  and  Nebuchadnezzar 
drew  off  his  forces  from  Jerusalem  and  advanced  to  meet 
him.  The  Egyptian  king  was  terrified  at  the  strength  of 
the  Chaldean  army,  and  retreated  to  Egypt,  but  in  the  mean 
time  the  Jews,  believing  that  Nebuchadnezzar  would  never 
return,  cancelled  the  proclamation  of  liberty  to  the  He- 
brew servants  and  indulged  in  demonstrations  of  joy  at 
their  supposed  deliverance.  Jeremiah,  however,  had  pre- 
viously predicted  the  return  of  Nebuchadnezzar  and  burn- 
ing of  Jerusalem,  and  during  the  absence  of  the  Chaldeans 
had  endeavored  to  escape  from  the  city,  but  was  seized  at 
the  gate  for  a  deserter  and  imprisoned  in  the  house  of  Jon- 
athan the  scribe.  Jer.  xxxvii.  11-15. 

549.  Zedekiah  secretly  applies  to  Jeremuih ;  tJie 
Princes  throiv  the  JProphet  into  a  Pit,  589. — In  the 
following  year  Nebuchadnezzar,  having  thus  repulsed 
Hophra,  renewed  the  siege,  and  Zedekiah  applied  secretly 
to  Jeremiah  concerning  the  fate  of  Jerusalem,  but  the 
prophet  repeated  his  former  predictions.  The  princes  of 
Judah  were  now  angry  with  Jeremiah,  and  removed  him 
to  the  court  of  the  prison,  where  he  was  afterward  thrown 
into  a  deep  pit  of  mire,  but  rescued  by  Ebedmelech,  an 
Ethiopian  and  one  of  Zedekiah's  eunuchs.  2  Kings  xxv. 
1-3  ;  Jer.  xxxviii. ;  xxxix.  1. 

550.  Jerusalein  taken,  588. — On  the  seventh  day  of 
the  fourth  month,  the  city  being  broken  up  by  famine 
and  the  middle  gate  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  Zedekiah 
and  his  men  of  war  escaped  at  night,  but  the  Chaldeans 
overtook  him  without  his  army  in  the  plains  of  Jericho, 
and  carried  him  to  Nebuchadnezzar  at  Riblah  in  Hamath 
in  Syria.     Nebuchadnezzar  slew  his  sons  in  his  presence, 


B.C.  588.  2   KINGS   XXV.  2o/ 

and  then  put  out  his  eyes  and  sent  him  in  brazen  chains 
to  Babylon,  where  he  died  in  prison,  having  reigned  eleven 
years.  Two  apparently  contradictory  prophecies  were 
thus  fulfilled  concerning  him.  Jeremiah  had  declared 
that  he  should  see  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  be  carried  to 
Babylon ;  whilst  Ezekiel  had  said  that  he  should  go  to 
Babylon  and  not  see  it.  Jer.  xxxiv.  3 ;  Ezek.  xii.  13 ; 
2  Kings  XXV.  4 ;  Jer.  xxxix.  2. 

551.  Nebuzaradan  sacks  the  City, — The  walls  of  Je- 
rusalem were  now  broken  down  by  Nebuzaradan,  Neb- 
uchadnezzar's general,  who  also  sacked  and  burnt  the  city 
and  temple,  and  carried  away  nearly  the  whole  nation  cap- 
tive to  Babylon.  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  14-21 ;  Jer.  lii.  12-23. 

552.  Gedaliah  apjyointed  Governor;  slain  by  Is7i~ 
tnael, — Nebuchadnezzar  then  appointed  Gedaliah  to  be 
governor  over  the  remnant  of  the  people  who  remained  in 
Judah ;  and  he  released  Jeremiah  and  permitted  him  to 
continue  with  Gedaliah  at  Mizpeh,  as  the  prophet  had  re- 
quested. Gedaliah  was  afterward  treacherously  slain  at 
a  feast  by  Ishmael,  a  descendant  of  the  royal  house  of 
Judah,  who  fiiurdered  many  other  Jews  and  sought  to 
carry  the  remainder  captive  to  the  Ammonites.  Jer.  xl. ; 
xli.  1-10. 

553.  tTereniiah  and  JSaruch  go  to  Egyjyt;  Me- 
mainder  of  the  People  taken  to  Babylon. — Johanan, 
one  of  Gedaliah's  chief  officers,  overtook  Ishmael  and  re- 
covered the  captives,  and  fled  with  them  to  Egypt,  taking 
Jeremiah  and  Baruch  with  him.  Four  years  afterward 
Nebuzaradan  carried  off*  the  few  people  that  remained  in 
Judah,  seven  hundred  and  forty-five  in  number.  Mean- 
while, new  colonists  were  not  introduced,  as  had  been 
done  by  the  Assyrians  in  Samaria ;  and,  although  nomadic 
tribes  wandered  through  the  country  and  the  Idumeans 
settled  in  some  southern  districts,  yet  the  land  remained 
desolate  for  the  appointed  time.  2  Kings  xxv.  22-26 ;  Jer. 
xli.  11-18. 

B.  C.  588. — Thus  was  Judah  carried  away  cap- 
tive OUT  OF  HIS  OWN  LAND  507  YEARS  FROM  THE 
ANOINTING   OF  SaUL,  468  YEARS   AFTER   THE   ACCESSION 

OF  David,  388  years  from  the  death  of  Solomon, 

AND  134  YEARS  FROM  THE  CAPTIVITY  OF  THE  TEN 
TRIBES. 


238  1   AND   2   CHRONICLES. 

{History  continued  at  p.  244.) 

554.  History  of  Assyria, — The  geographical  limits  of  As- 
syria varied  at  different  periods  of  the  empire.  (See  Introductory 
Outline  of  the  Geography.) 

Ni^nrodf  cir.  2234, — Son  of  Cush,  founded  the  kingdom 
of  Babel,  or  Babylon,  in  the  land  of  Shinar — i.  e.  Mesopotamia  or 
Padan-aram — when  AssHUR  or  AssuR,  second  son  of  Shem,  mi- 
grated from  Shinar  to  the  country  called,  after  him,  Assyria. 
Nimrod  afterward  invaded  and  conquered  Assyria,  built  Nineveh, 
and  called  it  after  his  son,  Ninus.  Gen.  x.  10,  11. 

Chedorlaomerf  cir ,  19 13,— King  oi  ^I'dim,  with  three  con- 
federate kings,  took  Lot  prisoner,  and  was  afterward  defeated  by 
Abram.  Gen.  xiv. 

Interregnum  of  more  than  one  thousand  years. 

Cir,  B,  C,  862, — A  king  of  Nineveh,  name  unknown,  lived 
in  the  time  of  Jonah. 

1,  JPul,  cir,  771, — Invaded  Israel,  and  obliged  Menahem  to 
pay  one  thousand  silver  talents. 

2,  Tiglath-pileser,  cir,  750.— Being  bribed  by  Ahaz, 
B.  c.  740,  he  carried  off  the  Damascenes  captive  to  Kir,  or  Assyria 
Proper,  and  slew  Rezin.  Conquered  the  Edomites  and  Philistines. 
Attacked  Pekah,  king  of  Israel,  invaded  Galilee,  and  carried  off 
the  Trans-Jordanic  tribes  of  Eeuben,  Gad,  and  half  Manasseh,  and 
planted  them  in  cities  of  the  Medes. 

3,  Shalnianeser f  730. — Invaded  Israel  and  made  Hoshea 
tributary.  In  B.  c.  725  the  latter  rebelled,  and  Shalmaneser  im- 
prisoned him,  besieged  Samaria  for  three  years,  and  in  B.  c.  721 
carried  the  ten  tribes  into  captivity,  and  placed  them  in  the  cities 
where  Tiglath-pileser  had  previously  stationed  the  Trans-Jordanic 
tribes. 

4:,  Sennacherib,  713, — Invaded  Hezekiah,  but  his  army 
was  destroyed  by  an  angel.     Medes  revolted  b.  c.  712. 

S,  EsarJiaddon,  7 10, — Colonized  Samaria.  Themonarchs 
who  succeeded  him  are  unimportant ;  their  power  rapidly  declined, 
and  the  empire  was  at  length  overthrown  by  the  Medes  and  Chal- 
dee-Babylonians.     (See  sect.  535.) 


1  AND   2  CHRONICLES. 

{Supposed  to  be  written  by  Ezra.) 

[The  two  books  form  but  oue  in  the  Hebrew  canon,  which  was 
called  "The  Book  of  Journals,"  or  the  "Word  of  Days." 
In  the  Septuagint  they  are  called  UapaXeciro/^eva,  or  "  Things 
omitted,"  and  were  named  the  Books  of  Chronicles  by 
Jerome.] 


1  AND  2   CHRONICLES.  239 

1  Chronicles, — Genealogical  Tables  from  Adam  to  Ezra,  4004- 
1056.— Death  of  Saul,  1056.— Keign  of  David,  1056-1015.— Alto- 
gether, B.  c.  4004  to  1015,  about  2989  years. 

2  Chronicles* — Reign  of  Solomon,  1015-975. — History  of 
the  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel,  975-588. — Edict  of  Cyrus,  536. — 
Altogether,  b.  c.  1015  to  536,  about  479  years. 

The  two  Books  of  Chronicles  thus  extend  from  b.  c.  4004  to  536, 
about  3468  years. 


555.  As  the  two  Books  of  Chronicles  relate  the  same 
history  as  the  Books  of  Samuel  and  Kings,  the  summary 
of  the  facts  they  contain  need  not  be  repeated  here ;  for, 
though  they  embrace  many  particulars  which  are  omitted 
in  the  former  books,  yet  we  have  inserted  these  particulars 
in  their  proper  place  in  the  history,  making  sufficient 
reference  to  those  chapters  in  the  Chronicles  from  whence 
they  are  extracted. 

556.  Ezra,  who  was  probably  the  writer  of  these  Chroni- 
cles, appears  to  have  had  three  particular  objects  in  their 
compilation — viz.  1st.  To  point  out  from  the  public  records 
the  state  of  the  different  families  before  the  Captivity,  that 
at  their  return  they  might  again  possess  their  respective 
inheritances.  2d.  To  enable  the  Jews  to  conduct  the 
worship  of  God  as  before,  by  entering  minutely  into  the 
duties,  genealogies,  families,  and  orders  of  the  priests  and 
Levites.  3d.  To  stir  the  Jews  to  a  holy  zeal  for  restoring 
the  temple  and  its  service  by  dwelling  on  those  parts  of 
the  character  of  David,  Solomon,  Hezekiah,  and  Josiah 
which  illustrate  their  pious  care  in  these  respects.  One 
important  use  also  of  the  genealogical  tables  is  to  give 
that  succession  of  families  through  which  it  had  been 
prophesied  that  the  Messiah  should  come ;  and  thus  the 
descendants  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  David  are 
marked  with  the  greatest  care. 

557.  The  two  last  verses  of  2  Chronicles  are  the  same 
as  the  beginning  of  Ezra. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  CHALDEE-BABYLONIAN 
EMPIRE 

DURING  THE  SEVENTY  YEAKS'  CAPTIVITY, 

FORMING  A  CONNECTION   BETWEEN  2  KINGS  AND  2  CHRONICLES  AND   THE  BOOK 
OF  EZRA.    B.  C.  606-536.* 

[Though  Jerusalem  was  not  taken  until  B.  c.  588,  yet  the  sev- 
enty years'  captivity  is  reckoned  from  the  fourth  year  of 
Jehoiakim's  reign,  B.  c.  606,  when  Nebuchadnezzar  car- 
ried away  Daniel  the  prophet  and  others  to  Babylon. 
The  seventy  years'  captivity  ends  in  b.  c.  536,  when  Cyrus, 
having  destroyed  the  Chaldee-Babylonian  empire,  pro- 
claimed that  all  the  Jews  might  return  to  Judsea  and  re- 
build their  temple  ;  and  Ezra  does  not  commence  his  his- 
tory until  this  edict  of  Cyrus.] 


1.  Nebuchadnezzar's  reign  concluded,  588-562  ;  golden  image 
erected  at  Dura;  conquers  Tyre,  Egypt,  etc. ;  beautifies  Babylon. — 
His  insanity. — 2.  Evilmerodach,  562-560 ;  released  Jelioiachin. 
3.  Nerigmssor,  559-556 ;  war  with  the  Medes. — 4.  Laborasoar- 
CHOD,  556. — 5.  Belshazzar,  555-539 ;  allied  with  Croesus ;  Babylon 
taken  by  Cyrus  after  two  years'  siege. — Cyaxares  IL — i.  e.  Darius 
THE  Mede — 539-537  ;  Daniel  thrown  into  the  lions'  den  ;  proph- 
esies the  overthrow  of  the  Persian  empire  by  the  king  of  Greece. 
—Cyrus,  537-530. 


558.  1,  NebucJiadnezsar's  Reign  concluded,  588— 
562  ;  Golden  Image  erected  at  Dura, — Nebuchadnez- 
zar, having  taken  Jerusalem  in  b.  c.  588,  returned  to  Baby- 
lon, and  about  b.  c.  557,  he  erected  the  golden  image  in  the 
plains  of  Dura,  which  he  commanded  all  his  subjects  to 
worship.  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego  refused  to 
obey  the  royal  edict,  and  were  thrown  into  a  furnace,  but 

•*  The  present  outline  has  been  chiefly  compiled  from  the  works  of 
Prideaux  and  Jahn,  who  prefer  Xenophon's  history  of  Cyrus  to  that  of 
Herodotus,  to  whom,  however,  reference  is  frequently  made.  The  chro- 
nology of  Dean  Prideaux  has  been  adopted  throughout. 

240 


B.  c.  586-572.     CON.  BET.  2  KINGS,  2  CHRON.,  AND  EZRA.     241 

miraculously  delivered  by  the  direct  interposition  of  Je- 
hovah. Dan.  iii. 

559.  Conquers  Tyre,  Egypt,  etc.,  586-572, — Neb- 
uchadnezzar returned  to  Palestine  and  besieged  Tyre  for 
thirteen  years ;  and  as  the  neighboring  places  must  have 
suffered  severely  during  this  period,  it  is  probable  that 
the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  were  then  accom- 
plished against  the  Zidonians,  Philistines,  Edomites,  and 
Moabites.  Jer.  xxvii. ;  Ezek.  xxv.  In  b.  c.  584,  Nebuzar- 
adan,  general  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  again  invaded  Pales- 
tine, probably  to  revenge  the  death  of  Gedaliah ;  and  he 
carried  away  captive  the  residue  of  the  Jews  and  Israel- 
ites, seven  hundred  and  forty-five  in  number.  Jer.  Iii.  30. 
(Sect.  553.)  In  b.  c.  574,  the  Egyptian  army  revolted 
from  Pharaoh-Hophra  (called  Apries  by  Herodotus),  and 
made  Amasis  king;'*'  and  in  B.C.  573,  Nebuchadnezzar 
took  Tyre,  but  not  before  the  inhabitants  had  escaped  by 
sea  with  the  most  valuable  of  their  treasures ;  and  the 
next  year  marched  against  Egypt,  which  now,  on  account 
of  the  intestine  disturbances  occasioned  by  the  rival  claims 
of  Apries  and  Amasis,  was  still  weaker  than  at  the  time 
when  she  dared  not  hazard  a  battle  with  the  Chaldeans 
for  the  relief  of  Jerusalem  (sect.  548).  Nebuchadnezzar 
accordingly  soon  made  himself  master  of  the  country,  and 
transferred  many  Egyptians,  as  he  had  before  Jews, 
Phoenicians,  and  Syrians,  to  the  territory "  beyond  the 
Euphrates.  Megasthenes,  as  quoted  by  Josephus,  says 
that  he  then  laid  waste  a  great  part  of  Africa,  penetrated 
to  Spain,  and  in  the  greatness  of  his  exploits  excelled 
Hercules  himself  Strabo  says,  "  He  is  venerated  by  the 
Chaldeans  more  than  Hercules  by  the  Greeks,  for  he  went 
not  only  to  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  [Gibraltar],  but 
marched  through  Spain  to  Thrace  and  Pontus ;"  but  these 
accounts  are  manifestly  fabulous.  Ezek.  xxvi. ;  xxix.  17, 
18 ;  XXX. 

560.  Beautifies  Babylon, — Nebuchadnezzar  now  em- 
ployed his  wealth  in  ornamenting  the  temples  at  Babylon 
and  enriching  the  splendor  of  the  city.  According  to 
Berosus  and  others,  he  built  the  following  great  works, 
which  made  Babylon  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world : — 

*  Herod.,  ii.  162,  163 ;  Joseph.,  Ant.,  lib.  x.  c.  11. 
21  Q 


242       CON.  BETWEEN  2  KINGS,  2  CHRONICLES,    b.  c.  569-556. 

viz.  1st.  The  walls ;  2d.  The  temple  of  Belus ;  3d.  Neb- 
iichadwezzar's  palace  and  hanging  gardens;  4th.  The 
banks  of  the  river ;  5th.  The  artificial  lake  and  artificial 
canals.  These  works  were  afterward  attributed  to  the 
fabled  Semiramis,  and  it  has  also  been  said  that  they  were 
completed  by  Nitocris,  the  mother  of  Belshazzar,  the  last 
of  the  Chaldee  monarchs.* — Serod.,  lib.  i.  c.  185,  186 ; 
Joseph.,  Atit,  lib.  x.  c.  11. 

561.  His  Insanity,  509-563, — About  this  time,  ac- 
cording to  the  terrible  prophecy  of  Daniel,  Nebuchadnez- 
zar was  afilicted  with  insanity,  and  he  "  was  driven  from 
men,  and  did  eat  grass  as  oxen,  and  his  body  was  wet 
with  the  dew  of  heaven,  till  his  hair  was  grown  like 
eagles'  feathers,  and  his  nails  like  birds'  claws."  Dan.  iv. 
33.  At  length,  in  b,  c.  562,  he  died,  in  the  forty-fifth  year 
of  the  seventy  years'  captivity,  after  reigning  forty-three 
years  alone  and  two  years  with  his  father,  Nabopolassar. 
— Joseph.,  Ant.,  lib.  x.  c.  11. 

562.  2,  Evilnierodach,  562-560  ;  released  JeJioia- 
chin. — Son  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  He  released  Jehoiachin, 
king  of  Judah,  who  had  languished  in  imprisonment  for 
thirty-seven  years  (sect.  543) ;  but  he  proved  himself  an 
unworthy  and  tyrannical  ruler,  and  was  assassinated  in 
the  second  year  of  his  reign  by  his  brother-in-law,  Neri- 
glissor.  2  Kings  xxv.  27-30.  Joseph,  cojit.  Apion,  lib.  1. 
The  same  year  died  Astyages,  king  of  Media,  who  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Cyaxares  II.  (i.  e.  Darius  the  3Iede'), 
in  the  civil  government,  and  by  his  grandson,  Cyrus,  in  the 
military. — Zenoph.,  Cyr.,  lib.  i. 

563.  3.  Neriglissor,  559-556;  War  ivith  the 
Medes, — Neriglissor  was  the  son-in-law  of  Nebuchadnez- 
zar. He  made  great  preparations  for  a  war  with  the 
Medes,  and  invited  the  Lydians,  Phrygians,  Carians,  Cap- 
padocians,  Paphlagonians,  Cilicians,  and  all  the  neighbor- 
ing nations  to  ally  with  him  against  the  common  enemy. 

*  "  That  the  hanging  gardens  were  founded  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and 
not  by  Semiramis,  is  confirmed  by  Diodorus,  where  he  says  that  a  Syrian 
(Assyrian)  king  built  them  to  please  his  consort.  If  this  consort  be  re- 
garded as  Herodotus's  Nitocris — and  according  to  his  chronology,  and 
his  calling  her  the  mother  of  the  last  king,  Labynetus,  such  would  ap- 
pear to  be  the  case — then  becomes  cleared  up  how  Nitocris  came  to  be 
mentioned  as  having  embellished  Babylon  by  the  great  works  she  caused 
to  be  executed." — Heeren's  Asiatic  Nations, 


B.  c.  556-539.    AND  THE  BOOK  OF  EZRA.  z4o 

Meantime,  Cyrus,  in  the  fortieth  year  of  his  age,  came  to 
the  assistance  of  his  uncle,  Cyaxares  II.,  at  the  head  of 
30,000  Persian  troops,  and  was  appointed  general  of  the 
whole  Median  army.  He  defeated  Neriglissor,  and  left 
him  dead  on  the  field  of  battle,  in  the  fourth  year  of  his 
reign. — Zenoph.,  Cyr.,  lib.  i.-iv. 

564.  4.  Laborasoarchod,  556. — Son  of  Neriglissor, 
was  unjust  and  cruel,  and  was  slain  after  a  reign  of  nine 
months. — Joseph,  cont.  Apion,  lib.  i. 

565.  5,  Belshazzar,  555-539  ;  allied  tvith  Croesus. 
— Belshazzar  was  the  son  or  grandson  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
and  is  called  Nahonad  by  Josephus  and  Lahynetus  by 
Herodotus.  His  mother  appears  to  have  been  the  same 
as  the  Nitocris  of  Herodotus — a  very  politic,  active,  and 
resolute  woman,  who  completed  the  unfinished  works  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  in  effect  governed  the  empire  under 
her  dissipated  and  thoughtless  son.  Belshazzar  allied 
with  Croesus,  king  of  Lydia,  who  was  afterward  utterly 
defeated  by  Cyrus  in  the  eighth  year  of  Belshazzar's 
reign,  and  Cyrus  subsequently  subjugated  Asia  Minor 
and  all  the  country  w^est  of  the  Euphrates  to  the  domin- 
ion of  Cyaxares  II.  {i.  e.  Darius  the  Mede).  Dan.  v. — 
Herod.,  i.  77-81,  84. 

566.  Cyrus  besieges  Babylon,  541. — Cyrus  now 
commenced  the  siege  of  Babylon,  but  without  success,  and 
its  high  and  strong  walls,  surmounted  by  lofty  towers,  its 
broad  and  deep  ditches,  its  large  magazines,  and  the  nu- 
merous squares  within  the  city,  which  were  planted  with 
corn  and  yielded  an  annual  supply  of  provisions,  seemed 
to  secure  its  inhabitants  for  ever  from  all  the  attacks  of 
their  enemies. 

567.  Takes  the  City,  539. — After  two  years'  siege 
Cyrus  took  the  city  by  a  stratagem.  On  the  same  night 
that  the  portentous  writing  on  the  wall  and  Daniel's  fear- 
ful prophecy  had  prepared  Belshazzar  for  his  approaching 
fate,  and  w^hilst  the  Babylonians  were  engaged  at  a  fes- 
tival, he  suddenly  broke  down  the  embankment  betweoji 
the  Euphrates  and  the  large  artificial  lake  which  had 
been  dug  to  prevent  the  river  from  ever  overflowing  the  city. 
The  Euphrates,  which  ran  through  the  centre  of  Babylon, 
was  thus  rendered  fordable,  and  the  army  of  Cyrus,  being 
formed  into  two  divisions,  w  aded  into  the  river  at  each  end, 


244  EZRA.  B.  c.  536. 

and  finding  that  the  inhabitants  had  forgotten  to  shut  the 
river-gates,  they  easily  entered  the  city  and  surrounded 
the  palace,  and  Belshazzar  was  quickly  overpowered  and 
slain.  Dan.  v. — Herod.,  i.  191 ;  and  Xenoph.,  Cyrop.,  c.  vi. 
and  vii. 

568.  Darius  the  Mede — i.  e.  Cyaxares  11.,  538— 
536, — Darius,  or  Cyaxares  II.,  son  of  Astyages,  was  now, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-two,  placed  by  the  arms  of  Cyrus  on 
the  throne  of  Babylon,  which  he  governed  according  to 
the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  dividing  the  whole 
Persian  and  Babylonian  empire  into  one  hundred  and 
twenty  provinces.  Dan.  v.  31 ;  vi.  1-3. 

569.  Daniel  thrown  into  the  Lions'  Den,  538. — 
Daniel  was  thrown  into  the  lions'  den  for  praying  to  God 
instead  of  to  Darius,  and  the  same  year,  having  reckoned 
that  the  seventy  years'  captivity  prophesied  by  Jeremiah 
(sect.  534)  was  approaching  to  a  close,  he  earnestly  pray- 
ed that  God  would  remember  his  people  and  restore  Jeru- 
salem. About  this  time  also  he  prophesied  the  overthrow 
of  the  empire  by  the  king  of  Greece,  which  was  not  ful- 
filled until  B.  c.  330,  about  two  hundred  years  after.  Dan. 
vi.     (Sect.  626.) 

570.  Ct/rus,  536. — Cyaxares  II.  died  B.  c.  537,  and 
Cambyses  being  also  dead  in  Persia,  Cyrus,  son  of  Cam- 
byses  and  nephew  of  Darius,  succeeded  to  the  empire, 
which  now  comprised  Media,  Persia,  Assyria,  Baby- 
lonia, Asia  Minor,  Syria,  Phcenicia,  and  Palestine. 
(For  Chronology  of  the  Persian  kings,  with  their  names  as 
given  in  Scripture  and  in  Profane  History,  see  p.  257.) 


EZRA. 

( Written  by  Ezra.) 

HISTORY  OF  THE  EDICT  OF  CTRUS  AND  FIRST  RETURN  FROM  CAPTIVITY  UNDER 
ZERUBBABEL,  AND  THE  GOVERNORSHIP  OPEZRA.  B.  C,  536-456.— ABOUT  EIGHTY 
YEARS. 

[Ezra  was  written  in  Hebrew,  except  chs.  iv.-vii.,  which  are 
in  Chaldee,  either  because  Ezra  wished  to  record  the  very 
words  of  the  letters  and  decrees  contained  in  those  chapters, 


B.  c.  536. 


EZRA.  245 


or  because  the  Jews  had  become  daring  the  Babylonian 
captivity  better  acquainted  with  the  Chaldee  than  the  He- 
brew.] 


ANALYSIS. 

Edict  of  Cyrus,  536.— First  caravan  of  Jews  under  Zerubbabel  and 
Jeshua.— Kestoration  of  the  sacrifices.— Foundation  of  the  second 
temple  laid,  535.— Samaritans  retard  the  building,  534-530.— Death 
of  Cyrus,  530.— Samaritans  write  to  Ahasuerus  (Carabyses)  with- 
out effect,  529.— Artaxerxes  (Smerdis  Magus)  prohibits  the  build- 
ing of  the  temple,  522.— Darius  Hystaspis  king ;  Haggai  and  Zech- 
ariah  incite  the  Jews  to  recommence  building,  520.— Darius  con- 
firms the  edict  of  Cyrus,  519.— Completion  and  dedication  of  the 
temple,  515.— State  of  the  returned  Jews.— (Death  of  Darius  and 
reign  of  Xerxes,  485-465.)— Eeign  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus, 
the  Ahasuerus  of  Esther,  464-424.— Second  caravan  of  the  Jews 
under  Ezra,  458.— Governorship  of  Ezra,  468-445.— Corrects  the 
canon  of  Scripture ;  dies. 

g  History  of  the  high  priesthood  from  Aaron  to  the  return  from 
captivity. 


SUMMARY. 


571.  Edict  of  Cyrus,  536,— In  the  first  year  of  the 
reign  of  Cyrus,  the  prophecies  concerning  his  conquest  of 
Babylon,  made  by  Isaiah  about  one  hundred  and  seventy 
years  previous,  were  shown  to  him  (probably  by  Daniel) : 
"  Thus  saith  the  Lord  to  his  anointed,  to  Cyrus,  whose 
right  hand  I  have  holden,  to  subdue  nations  before  him ; 
and  I  will  loose  the  loins  of  kings,  to  open  before  him  the 
two-leaved  gates ;  and  the  gates  shall  not  be  sJiut,''^  etc. 
Isa.  xlv.  1 ;  Jer.  xxv.  12.  Cyrus  also  saw  himself  called 
upon  by  name  to  restore  the  Jewish  nation  to  their  coun- 
try and  temple :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  am  the  Lord 
that  maketh  all  things  ;— that  saith  of  Cyrus,  He  is  my 
shepherd,  and  shall  perform  all  my  pleasure :  even  say- 

*  "  If  therefore  the  Babylonians  had  been  apprised  beforehand,  or 
had  known  what  Cyrus  was  about,  .  .  .  they  would  have  closed  all 
the  little  gates  leading  down  to  the  river;  ...  whereas  the  Persians 
came  upon  them  by  surprise.'* — Herod. ,  lib.  i.  c.  191. 

21* 


246  EZRA   I.-III. 


B.  c.  636-530. 


ing  to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  built ;  and  to  the  temple, 
Thy  foundation  shall  be  laid."  Isa.  xliv.  24,  28.  "  Then 
the  Lord  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  Cyrus,"  and  he  proclaim- 
ed throughout  his  empire  by  a  herald  and  by  a  written 
order  that  all  the  people  of  the  God  of  heaven,  without 
exception,  had  liberty  to  return  to  Judsea  and  rebuild 
their  temple  at  Jerusalem.   Ezra  i.  1-4. 

572.  First  Caravan  of  Jews  under  Zerubbdbel  and 
tfesliua,  536, — Zerubbabel  (Sheshbazzar),  prince  of 
Judah  and  grandson  of  King  Jehoiachin,  and  Jeshua, 
grandson  of  Seraiah  the  high  priest,  together  with  ten  of 
the  principal  elders,  now  prepared  to  conduct  the  Israel- 
ites to  the  land  of  their  fathers.  Accordingly,  nearly 
50,000  people,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  tribes  of  Judah 
and  Benjamin,  left  the  countries  beyond  the  Euphrates 
to  return  to  Judaea,  having  been  furnished  with  provisions 
for  the  journey  and  upward  of  8000  horses,  camels,  and 
beasts  of  burden.  And  5400  of  the  vessels  of  silver  and 
gold  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  carried  away  were  re- 
stored by  Cyrus  to  Zerubbabel,  who  was  appointed  not 
only  leader  of  the  caravan,  but  tirshatha,  or  governor  of 
Judsea.  Ezra  i.  5-11 ;  ii. 

573.  Hestoration  of  the  Sacrifices, — The  journey 
from  Babylon  to  Judsea  must  have  lasted  about  four 
months,  and  in  the  seventh  month  the  people  gathered  at 
Jerusalem,  and  Jeshua  the  high  priest  and  the  other 
priests  set  up  the  altar  of  burnt-offerings  and  commenced 
the  daily  sacrifices,  and  collected  money  and  prepared 
workmen  for  rebuilding  the  temple.  Ezra  iii.  1-7. 

574.  Foundation  of  the  Second  Temple  laid,  535, 
— In  the  second  month  of  the  second  year  of  the  return 
of  the  Jews,  Zerubbabel  the  governor,  Jeshua  the  high 
priest,  and  all  the  priests,  Levites,  and  people  assembled 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  temple  with  great  solemnity ; 
but  whilst  the  young  colonists  shouted  with  exultation, 
the  old  priests  and  elders,  who  had  seen  the  temple  of 
Solomon  in  all  its  glory,  could  not  forbear  weeping  even 
upon  so  joyful  an  occasion.  Ezra  iii.  8-13. 

575.  Samaritans  retard  the  Building,  534-530, 
— The  Cuthseans  and  others  whom  Esarhaddon  had  sent 
to  colonize  Samaria  (sect.  507)  now  desired  to  assist  the 
Israelites  in  the  building  of  the  temple  and  join  with 


B.  c.  529-522.  EZRA   IV.  247 

them  in  the  worship  of  God.  This  was  refused  by  Zerub- 
babel  and  the  elders,  probably  because  the  Samaritans 
were  not  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and,  moreover,  mingled 
idolatry  with  the  worship  of  Jehovah.  The  refusal  great- 
ly incensed  the  Samaritans,  and  thereupon  they  used 
every  exertion  to  stop  the  building;  and  though  they 
were  unable  to  accomplish  their  object  during  the  life  of 
Cyrus,  yet  they  threw  so  many  obstacles  in  the  way  that 
the  people  were  wearied  out  and  the  work  went  on  heav- 
ily. This  very  naturally  excited  the  enmity  of  the  Jews, 
and  thus  there  arose  a  hatred  between  the  two  nations 
which  was  continually  increased  by  new  provocations, 
and  amongst  others  by  the  defection  of  Manasseh  and 
the  erection  of  a  rival  temple  on  Mount  Gerizim,  until 
at  last  all  friendly  intercourse  entirely  ceased.   Ezra  iv. 

576.  Write  to  Ahasiierus  ( Cambyses)  ivithout  ef- 
fect, 529, — Cyrus  died  b.  c.  530,  and  his  son,  Cambyses 
(called  Ahasuerus  by  Ezra),  succeeded  to  the  throne. 
The  Samaritans  had  already  hired  counsellors,  who  con- 
trived to  frustrate  the  purpose  of  the  Israelites  from  the 
reign  of  Cyrus  to  that  of  Darius,  but  they  now  thought 
to  stop  them  more  effectually  by  sending  a  letter  of  accu- 
sation against  them  to  Ahasuerus  (Cambyses),  but  no  re- 
ply to  it  seems  to  have  been  sent.  Ezra  iv.  5,  6. — Herod., 
lib.  ii.  1 ;  iii.  1. 

577.  Af'taxetwes  {Smerdis  Magus)  proMMts  the 
Building  of  the  Temple,  522. — Cambyses,  after  con- 
quering Egypt,  was  afflicted  with  insanity  and  killed  his 
own  brother,  Smerdis,  and  at  length  died  from  a  wound 
he  received  from  the  cap  of  the  sheath  of  his  sword  fall- 
ing off  as  he  was  leaping  on  his  horse,  b.  c.  522,  after  a 
reign  of  eight  years.  Smerdis  Magus  (called  Artaxerxes 
in  Ezra  iv.  7)  now  personated  the  brother  whom  Cambyses 
had  slain,  and  seized  the  throne ;  and  to  him  the  Samari- 
tans again  wrote,  accusing  the  Jews  of  building  (that  is, 
fortifying)  Jerusalem — which  they  never  thought  of  do- 
ing— in  order  to  revolt  from  paying  tribute.  Artaxerxes 
then  prohibited  the  Jews  from  proceeding  with  the  tem- 
ple, but  his  own  fraud  being  discovered  shortly  after,  he 
was  slain  by  seven  Persian  nobles,  having  reigned  only 
seven  months.  Ezraiv.  7-24. — Herod.,  lib.  iii.  1-38,  61-79. 


248  EZRA  v.,  VI.  B.  c.  520-515. 

578.  Darius  Hystaspis  Mng ;  Saggai  and  Zecha~ 
riaJi  incite  the  Jews  to  recommence  JBuilding,  520. 

— Darius  Hystaspis  obtained  the  throne  on  the  death  of 
the  Magi,  b.  c.  521 ;  and  in  the  second  month  of  his  reign 
the  prophets  Haggai  and  Zechariah  appealed  so  power- 
ful] y  to  the  governor,  Zerubbabel,  and  the  high  priest, 
Jeshua,  and  to  the  whole  people,  that  the  building  of  the 
temple  was  once  more  resumed.  Upon  this  Tatnai,  the 
Persian  governor  west  of  the  Euphrates,  came  with  his 
officers  to  call  the  Jews  to  account  for  their  conduct,  but 
on  their  referring  to  the  edict  of  Cyrus  he  did  not  pro- 
hibit the  undertaking,  but  wrote  to  Darius  to  investigate 
the  affair.  Ezra  v. — Herod.,  lib.  iii.  88. 

579.  Darius  confirms  the  Edict  of  Cyrus,  519, — 
Darius  immediately  ordered  a  search  to  be  made  among 
the  royal  acts,  and  in  the  archives  at  Acmetha  (Ecbatana) 
the  edict  of  Cyrus  was  found  which  directed  that  the  tem- 
ple should  be  built  at  the  royal  expense  and  of  much  larger 
dimensions.  Darius  sent  a  copy  of  this  edict  to  Tatnai, 
with  a  letter  commanding  him  to  forward  the  building 
instead  of  obstructing  it,  and  to  defray  the  expenses  from 
the  royal  treasury,  and  supply  the  priests  with  animals 
for  sacrifice  and  with  wheat,  salt,  wine,  and  oil;  and 
whoever  obstructed  the  execution  of  this  decree  was  to 
be  crucified  and  his  house  demolished.  Ezra  vi.  1-12. 

580.  Completion  and  Dedication  of  the  Te^nple, 
515. — The  building  of  the  temple  was  now  carried  on 
with  renewed  vigor,  after  having  stood  still  for  nearly 
fifteen  years,  and  was  at  length  completed  in  the  sixth 
(seventh)  year  of  the  reign  of  Darius,  twenty-one  years 
after  it  had  been  begun  and  seventy-three  years  after  the 
complete  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  desolation  of  Judah. 
The  building  was  then  joyfully  consecrated  with  festive 
solemnities ;  seven  hundred  animals  were  sacrificed,  and 
twelve  he-goats  offered  as  a  sin-offering  for  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel.  Ezra  vi.  13-22. 

581.  State  of  the  Meturned  Jeivs, — As  offerings  were 
made  for  the  twelve  tribes,  and  as  the  invitation  of  Cyrus 
was  proclaimed  throughout  the  whole  empire,  many  of 
the  ten  tribes  must  have  returned  to  Palestine.  The  his- 
tory of  later  periods  also  mentions  several  Israelites  as 
settled  in  Galilee  and  Per^ea  long  before  the  time  of 


B.  :.  486-458.  EZRA  VL,  VII.  249 

Christ  (1  Mace.  v.  9-24) ;  but,  connecting  themselves 
with  the  tribe  of  Judah,  they  finally  lost  the  name  of 
Israelites,  and  all  Hebrews  were  called  Jeivs,  and  their 
country  Judcea.  But  of  the  twenty-four  courses  of 
priests  established  by  David  (sect.  156,  note),  only  four 
returned  from  Babylon,  but  the  old  number  was  still  kept 
up  by  each  of  the  four  subdividing  itself  into  six,  and 
the  new  courses  took  the  names  of  those  that  were 
w^anting.  Ezra  ii.  36-39 ;  vi.  17. 

582.  Death  of  Darius^  and  Heign  of  Xerxes,  486- 
4:65, — Darius  died  after  a  reign  of  thirty-six  years,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Xerxes,  his  son  by  Atossa,  daughter  of 
Cyrus.*  The  principal  events  in  the  reign  of  Darius  were 
— the  Babylonian  revolt  and  retaking  of  the  city  by  Zo- 
pyrus,  the  invasion  of  Scythia,  conquest  of  Thrace,  Ionian 
revolt  and  its  suppression,  battle  of  Marathon,  and  Egyp- 
tian revolt.  Tlie  principal  events  in  the  reign  of  Xerxes 
were — the  reduction  of  Egypt  and  invasion  of  Greece, 
which  was  followed  by  the  battles  of  Artemisium,  Ther- 
mopylae, Salamis,  Plat?ea,  and  Mycale.  Xerxes  was  slain, 
after  a  reign  of  twenty-one  years,  by  Artabanus,  captain 
of  his  guard,  who  endeavored  to  obtain  the  throne,  but 
was  circumvented  by  Artaxerxes  Longimanus — i.  e.  "  long- 
handed" — the  third  son  of  Xerxes. — Herod.,  lib.  iii.  c.  88- 
160;  iv. ;  ix. ;  Prideaux;  Jahn,  c.  Iviii. 

583.  Heign  of  Artaxerxes  Longhnanus,  tJie  Ahas- 
ueriisf  of  Esther f  465-424, — In  the  third  year  of  his 
reign  he  divorced  his  queen,  Vashti ;  in  the  fifth  year  he 
made  Esther  his  concubine ;  in  the  seventli,  he  made  her 
his  queen.     (See  Esther.) 

584.  Second  Caravan  of  Jews  under  Ezra,  458, — 
In  the  seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  Artaxerxes  the  king 

*  Jahn  thinks,  with  Julius  Scaliger,  that  the  Artaxerxes  in  Ezra  vii. 
and  the  Ahasuerus  in  Esther  was  the  present  Xerxes  I.  Moreover,  the 
name  of  Amestris,  wife  of  Xerxes,  favors  the  supposition  that  she  was 
the  same  as  Esther;  but  as  it  was  impossible  that  Esther  could  have 
committed  the  impious  and  cruel  acts  ascribed  to  Amestris,  we  have 
followed  the  authority  of  Prideaux,  who  follows  Josephus,  and  recog- 
nizes Artaxerxes  and  Ahasuerus  in  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  the  third 
son  and  successor  of  Xerxes.  (See  also  Table  of  Persian  Kings,  with 
their  names  according  to  Scripture  and  Profane  History,  p.  257.) 

f  This  Ahasuerus  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  Ahasuerus  of 
Dan.  ix.  1,  who  was  the  same  as  Astyages,  and  the  father  of  Darius  the 
Mede — i.  e.  Cyaxares  II.     (See  Table,  p.  257.) 


250  EZRA  VII.-X.  c.  458-445. 

renewed  the  edict  of  Cyrus  and  Darius  Hystaspis,  by 
giving  fresh  permission  to  the  Hebrews  to  emigrate  to 
Judsea.  Artaxerxes  also  appointed  Ezra  the  priest,  "  a 
ready  scribe  in  the  law  of  Moses"  and  a  lineal  descend- 
ant of  Aaron,  to  conduct  the  people  to  their  native  land 
and  be  governor  of  Judsea,  with  a  commission  to  appoint 
judges,  rectify  abuses,  enforce  observance  of  the  law,  and 
make  a  collection  for  the  temple  amongst  the  Hebrews 
who  chose  to  remain  in  exile.  To  this  collection  Ar- 
taxerxes and  his  counsellors  not  only  generously  contrib- 
uted, but  ordered  the  managers  of  the  royal  revenue  west 
of  the  Euphrates  to  supply  Ezra  with  all  he  should  re- 
quire— with  silver  to  one  hundred  talents,  wheat  to  one 
hundred  cors,  wine  and  oil  to  one  hundred  baths  of  each, 
and  salt  without  limitation — ^that  the  sacrifices  might  be 
legally  and  regularly  offered ;  whilst  all  the  priests,  Le- 
vites,  singers,  porters,  and  Nethinim  were  exempted  from 
tribute  or  toll,  and  thus  placed  on  an  equality  with  the 
Medes  and  Persians.  The  caravan,  to  the  number  of 
about  6000,  under  the  conduct  of  Ezra,  then  departed 
from  Babylon  on  the  first  day  of  the  first  month,  and 
reached  Jerusalem  on  the  first  day  of  the  fifth  month, 
after  keeping  a  solemn  fast  at  the  river  Ahava,  and  hav- 
ing been  just  four  months  on  the  journey.  They  then  de- 
posited at  the  temple  the  donations  they  had  received, 
including  several  vessels  of  gold  and  silver,  and  Ezra 
delivered  his  credentials  to  the  royal  officers  of  the  dis- 
trict, and  succeeded  Zerubbabel  in  the  governorship  of 
the  Jews.  Ezra  vii. ;  viii. 

585.  Governorship  of  Ezra,  458-445. — Ezra  con- 
tinued to  be  governor  of  the  Jews  until  the  arrival  of 
Nehemiah.  His  principal  political  measure  seems  to 
have  been  the  removing  of  strange  women  from  amongst 
the  Jews,  which  he  did  by  assembling  and  exhorting  the 
people  to  repent  and  j)ut  away  the  foreign  wives  whom 
many  of  them  had  married.  He  also  read  the  book  of 
the  Law  to  the  people,  and  having  found  it  written 
therein  "that  the  children  of  Israel  should  dwell  in 
booths  in  the  feast  of  the  seventh  month,"  the  people 
kept  the  feast  of  tabernacles  and  sat  under  booths,  which 
they  had  not  done  since  the  days  of  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun.  Ezra  ix.;  x.;  Neh.  viii. 


B.  c.  445.  EZRA   X.  251 

586.  Corrects  the  Canon  of  Scri2)ture;  Dies. — After 
governing  the  land  twelve  years,  Neheniiah  arrived  in 
Judsea,  and  Ezra  resigned  his  office,  and  either  returned 
to  Babylon  or  retired  into  private  life  to  his  own  coun- 
try. It  is  believed  that  he  then  wrote  the  book  of  Ezra, 
assisted  in  compiling  the  books  of  the  Chronicles,  and  ap- 
plied himself  to  correcting  the  canon  of  Scripture  and 
placing  the  books  in  their  present  order  and  condition ; 
and  some  say  that  he  changed  the  old  Hebrew  character 
for  the  Chaldee,  which  the  Jews  now  use.  Ezra  is  also 
said  to  have  added  in  several  places  throughout  the 
books  of  his  edition  of  the  Scrij^tures  many  passages  that 
appeared  necessary  for  the  illustrating,  connecting,  or 
completing  of  them,  wherein  he  was  assisted  by  the  same 
Spirit  by  which  they  had  been  at  first  written.  Amongst 
these  passages  w^ere — 1st,  The  last  chapter  of  Deuteron- 
omy, which  contains  an  account  of  the  death  and  burial 
of  Moses,  who  was,  however,  undoubtedly  the  author  of 
all  the  rest  of  the  Pentateuch.  2d,  "  And  these  are  the 
kings  that  reigned  in  the  land  of  Edom,  before  there 
reigned  any  king  over  the  land  of  Israel"  (Gen.  xxxvi. 
31) ;  which  could  not  have  been  said  until  there  had  been 
a  king  over  Israel,  and  therefore  could  not  have  been 
■\mtten  by  Moses.  3d,  "And  the  children  of  Israel  did 
eat  manna  forty  years "  (Ex.  xvi.  35) ;  but  Moses  was 
dead  before  the  manna  ceased.  4th,  "These  are  the 
Proverbs  of  Solomon,  Avhich  the  men  of  Hezekiah, 
king  of  Judah,  copied  out"  (Prov.  xxv.  1);  which  must 
have  been  added  many  years  after  Solomon.  Ezra  also 
changed  the  old  names  of  many  places  that  had  grown 
obsolete  for  the  new  names  which  had  been  given  them 
by  the  Israelites. 

587.  Ezra  is  said  to  have  died  in  the  one  hundred  and 
twentieth  year  of  his  age,  and  to  have  been  buried  in  Je- 
rusalem, though  some  say  that  he  died  in  Persia.  He  is 
also  called  Esdras,  and  the  rabbins,  with  Jerome  and 
others,  have  supposed  that  Ezra  and  Malachi  were  the 
same  person.     (See  Frideaux,  Calmet,  etc.) 


252  THE   HIGH   PRIESTHOOD.  b.  c.  1491-536. 

History  of  the  High  Priesthood  from  Aaron  to  the  Return 
from  Captivity. 

1.  Aaron,  consecrated  high  priest  b.  c.  1491, 

died  at  Mount  Hor 1452 

2.  Eleazak,  third  son  of  Aaron 1433 

3.  Phinehas 1414 

4.  Abiezer  or  Abishua,  ") 

5.  BuKKi,  y  lived  under  the  judges. 

6.  Uzzi,  ) 

7.  Eli,  of  the  race  of  Ithamar 1116 

8   Ahitub  I. 

9.  Ahiah,  lived 1092 

10.  Abimelech  or  Abiathar,  slain  by  Saul    .     .     1060 

11.  Abiathar,  Ahimelech,  or  Abimelech  (un- 

der David)      1015 

12.  Zadok  I.  (under  Saul,  David,  and  Solomon)  .  1004 

13.  Ahimaaz  (under  Eehoboam)    ......  974 

14.  AzARiAH  (under  Jehoshaphat),  probably  Ama- 

riah  of  2  Chron.  xix.  11 912 

15.  JoHANAN,  perhaps  Jehoiada,  under  Joash,  2 

Chron.  xxiv.  15  (died,  aged  130)  ....       878 

16.  AzARiAH,  perhaps  Zechariah,  son  of  Jehoiada, 

killed 840 

17.  Amariah,  perhaps  Azariah,  under  Uzziah      .       783 

19*  Zadok  IT  ''  \  ^^^^^  Jotham  of  Judah. 

20.  Uriah,  under  Ahaz,  lived 739 

21.  Shallum,  father  of  Azariah  and  grandfather 

of  Hilkiah. 

22.  Azariah,  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah    ....      726 

23.  Hilkiah,  under  Hezekiah. 

24.  Eliakim,  or  Joakim,   under  Manasseh:   he 

lived  under  Josiah  to  624 — called  Hilkiah. 

25.  Azariah,  perhaps  Neriah,  father  of  Seraiah 

and  of  Baruch. 

26.  Seraiah,  the  last  high  priest  before  the  cap- 

tivity of  Babylon,  put  to  death      ....       590 

27.  Jehozadak,  during  the  captivity      .     .     .    590-535 

28.  Joshua,  Jeshua,  or  Jesus,  the  son  of  Jehoza- 

dak or  Josedech  returned  from  Babylon     .       536 


B.C.  145.  NEHEMIAH   I.,   II.  253 


NEHEMIAH. 

(  Written  by  Nehemiah.) 

HISTORY   OK   THE   GOVERNMENT   OP  NEHEMIAH,  BEING   A   CONTINUATION   TO 
THE   HISTORY   OF  EZRA.    B.  C.  445   TO  420-ABOUT   25  YEARS. 

[In  the  Septuagint  and  Vulgate  this  book  is  called  the  Second 
Book  of  Ezra,  or  Esdras.] 


ANALYSIS. 


Nehemiah  appointed  governor  of  Judaea,  445. — Kebuilding  of  the 
walls  and  towers;  opposition  of  Sanballat  and  the  Samaritans. — 
Neliemiah's  first  administration,  444-433. — Nehemiah's  second  ad- 
ministration, 428-420. — Close  of  the  Old  Testament  history,  420. 


SUMMARY. 


588.  Nelietniah    appointed    Governor  of  Judcea, 

4:45. — 111  the  last  year  of  Ezra's  governorship,  and  the 
twentieth  year  of  the  reign  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus, 
Nehemiah,  son  of  Hechaliah,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  who 
w^as  cup-bearer  to  Artaxerxes  in  his  palace  at  Shusan 
(Susa)  heard  from  Hanani  and  others  full  particulars  of 
the  desolate  state  of  Jerusalem  (which  had  perhaps  sus- 
tained recent  damage  from  the  Samaritans,  or  from  the 
war  with  Megabyzus,  who  had  revolted  in  Syria  and  twice 
defeated  the  forces  of  Artaxerxes).  This  information  so 
affected  Nehemiah  that  the  king  observed  his  melancholy 
whilst  being  served  with  wine,  and  on  learning  that  Ne- 
hemiah desired  to  go  to  Jerusalem  and  rebuild  its  \^  alls, 
towers,  and  gates,  he  appointed  him  governor  of  Judaea, 
with  fiill  power  to  fortify  Jerusalem.  In  compliance  with 
a  second  request,  Artaxerxes  also  gave  him  letters  order- 
ing the  royal  officers  west  of  the  Euphrates  to  convey 
him  to  Judaea,  and  to  furnish  the  requisite  timber  for  the 
fortifications  from  the  king's  forest;  and  Nehemiah  ac- 
22 


254  NEHEMIAH   II.-XIII.  b.  c.  445-42U. 

cordingly  journeyed  to  Jerusalem,  accompanied  by  officers 
and  guarded  by  cavalry.  Neh.  i. ;  ii.  1-9. 

589.  Mehiiilding  of  the  Walls  and  Toivers ;  oppo- 
sition of  Sanhallat  and  the  Samaritans, — On  arriv- 
ing at  Jerusalem,  Nehemiah  rode  alone  through  the  city 
at  night,  and  found  that  the  walls  had  been  broken  down 
and  the  gates  burnt.  He  then  exhorted  the  Jews  to  re- 
build the  walls  and  gates,  and  the  work  was  immediately 
commenced ;  but  Sanballat,  Tobiah,  and  the  Samaritans 
first  mocked,  and  then  threatened  to  attack  the  city  and 
stop  the  progress  of  the  building.  Nehemiah,  however, 
kept  half  of  the  workmen  constantly  on  guard,  whilst  the 
other  half  labored  with  their  swords  at  their  sides  or  their 
weapons  in  their  hands.  When  the  walls  were  all  finished 
except  the  gate,  Sanballat  and  others  craftily  invited 
Nehemiah  to  meet  them  in  the  villages,  and  afterward 
charged  him  with  intending  to  rebel,  and  used  means  to 
terrify  him ;  which  were  all  unsuccessful.  At  length,  in 
fifty-two  days,  the  whole  was  completed,  and  Nehemiah 
gave  the  charge  of  Jerusalem  to  his  brother  Hanahi  and 
to  Hananiah,  who  w^ere  only  to  open  the  gates  whilst  the 
sun  was  hot,  and  to  oblige  the  people  to  be  continually  on 
the  watch.  Neh.  ii.  10-20 ;  iii. ;  iv. ;  vi. ;  vii.  1-4. 

590.  Neheniiah's  First  Administration,  445-433, 
— ^Nehemiah  w^as  tirshatha,  or  governor,  for  twelve  years, 
during  which  he  abolished  illegal  usury  and  obliged  the 
usurers  to  make  restitution,  revised  the  registry,  and  en- 
joined on  the  priests  and  Levites  a  strict  attendance  to 
their  duties.  During  all  this  time  neither  he  nor  his 
brothers  were,  like  the  former  governors,  chargeable  to 
the  people,  but  he  kept  at  his  table  one  hundred  and  fifty 
rulers  and  principal  Jews  daily,  besides  giving  liberally 
to  the  public  works  and  obliging  his  own  servants  to  work 
at  the  walls.  At  the  expiration  of  the  twelve  years  he 
returned  to  Artaxerxes.  Neh.  v. ;  vii.  5-73  ;  ix.-xii. 

591.  Nehemiah's  Second  Administration,  cir,  428- 
420. — Nehemiah,  having  obtained  fresh  permission  from 
Artaxerxes  to  return  to  Jerusalem,  reformed  the  following 
abuses  which  had  crept  in  during  his  absence:  1.  The 
gross  profanation  of  the  temple  by  Eliashib  the  jDriest, 
who,  having  allied  with  Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  prepared 
a  chamber  for  him  which  had  been  set  apart  for  tithes 


B.  c.  461.  ESTHER.  255 

and  offerings.  2.  The  desecration  of  the  Sabbath  in  car- 
rying burdens,  treading  wine-presses,  and  buying  and  sell- 
ing. 3.  The  unjust  withholding  of  tithes.  4.  Defective 
ofierings.  5.  The  intermarrying  with  strange  women. 
Nehemiah  is  said  to  have  assisted  Ezra  in  revising  the 
canon  of  Scripture,  and  is  thought  to  have  written  me- 
moirs of  his  government  from  which  this  book  was  ex- 
tracted. Neh.  xiii. 

592.  Close  of  Old  Testament  History,  ch\  420. — 
Malachi  prophesied  about  this  time,  and  thus  closes  Old 
Testament  history,  for  a  continuation  of  which  reference 
must  be  made  to  the  Apocryphal  books  and  Josephiis.  (See 
Connection  between  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.^ 


ESTHER. 

{Avtlior  unknown.) 

ABOUT  B.  C.  461-451,  A  PERIOD  OF  ABOUT  TEX  YEARS,  COMING  IN  BETWEEN  THE 
SIXTH  AND  SEVENTH  CHAPTERS  OF  EZRA. 

593.  Stonj  of  Esther,  461, — In  the  third  year  of  the 
reign  of  Aliasuerus  (i.  e.  Artaxerxes  Longimanus),  the 
king  wished  Queen  Vashti  to  exhibit  herself  at  a  feast, 
which  she  refused  to  do,  and  Ahasuerus  divorced  her,  and 
a  number  of  women  were  brought  to  him  that  he  might 
choose  a  wife  in  her  room.  Amongst  them  the  king's  at- 
tention was  particularly  directed  to  Esther  (Hebrew, 
Hadassah'),  the  niece  of  Mordecai,  a  Jew  of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  and  he  made  her  queen  in  the  seventh  year  of 
his  reign,  without  knowing  her  nation.  Soon  after  this 
Mordecai  discovered  that  two  of  the  king's  chamberlains 
had  conspired  to  slay  Ahasuerus,  and  on  telling  the  matter 
to  Esther,  she  reported  it  to  the  king  in  Mordecai's  name, 
and  the  conspirators  were  hanged.  At  this  time  Haman, 
a  favorite  of  the  king's  took  umbrage  at  Mordecai  for  not 
bowing  to  him  as  he  passed,  and  persuaded  Ahasuerus  to 
issue  a  decree  to  destroy  all  the  Jews  on  a  certain  day. 
Mordecai  and  the  Jews  w^re  now  in  great  tribulation,  but 
contrived  to  send  a  copy  of  the  decree  to  Esther,  and  per- 
suade her  to  supplicate  the  king  in  person,  though,  accord- 


256  ESTHER.      •  B.C.  461. 

ing  to  the  law,  whoever  entered  the  king's  presence  with- 
out being  called  was  put  to  death  unless  the  royal  sceptre 
was  extended  toward  them.  Esther  and  the  Jews  now 
fasted  for  three  days,  when  she  entered  the  royal  presence 
and  obtained  grace,  but  at  first  she  merely  invited  the 
king  and  Haman  to  her  banquet.  Haman  was  then 
highly  elated,  but  being  again  incensed  at  Mordecai's  not 
bowing  to  him  as  he  passed  to  the  banquet,  he  ordered  a 
gallows  fifty  cubits  high  to  be  built,  intending  next  day 
to  ask  of  the  king  the  immediate  death  of  Mordecai.  The 
same  night  King  Ahasuerus  could  not  sleep,  and  ordered 
the  chronicles  of  his  reign  to  be  read  to  him,  when  the 
conspiracy  of  the  two  chamberlains  was  related,  and  the 
king  remembered  that  Mordecai  had  gone  unrewarded  for 
his  loyalty  in  discovering  their  treason.  Accordingly, 
when  Haman  came  the  next  day  he  desired  him  to  clothe 
Mordecai  in  royal  apparel,  place  him  on  horseback,  and 
lead  him  through  the  city,  proclaiming,  "  Thus  shall  it  be 
done  unto  the  man  whom  the  king  delighteth  to  honor." 
Haman  obeyed  the  royal  command,  and  then  hasted  home 
mourning ;  but  whilst  his  wife  and  friends  were  endeavor- 
ing to  comfort  him  with  the  thought  that  as  Mordecai  was 
a  Jew  he  must  be  slain  with  the  others  of  his  nation,  the 
chamberlains  of  the  palace  came  to  fetch  him  to  a  second 
banquet  which  Esther  had  prepared  for  him  and  the  king. 
Here  Esther  supplicated  Ahasuerus  for  herself  and  people, 
and  pointed  out  Haman  as  their  enemy,  who  was  imme- 
diately hanged  upon  the  gallows  which  he  made  for  Mor- 
decai, and  the  latter  was  invested  with  the  command  of 
Haman's  house.  The  cruel  decree  was  now  reversed,  and 
instead  of  the  Jews  being  massacred  in  one  day,  they  were 
themselves  permitted  for  two  days  to  slay  all  their  ene- 
mies, including  the  household  of  Haman. 

594.  Feast  of  Purim. — In  order  to  commemorate 
their  deliverance  the  Jews  henceforth  celebrated  the 
Feast  of  Purim,  or  of  Lots,  on  the  fourteenth  and  fif- 
teenth days  of  the  month  Adar  (February).  It  was  called 
the  Feast  of  Purim  from  Pur,  "  a  lot,"  because  Haman 
had  cast  lots  to  decide  the  day  on  which  the  Jews  should 
be  massacred ;  and  the  feast  lasted  two  days,  because  the 
Jews  had  been  permitted  to  destroy  their  enemies  for  two 
days.     On  this  feast  all  the  Jews  attended  at  their  syna- 


B.C.  709-330.     KINGS   OF   MEDIA  AND   PERSIA. 


257 


gogues  to  hear  the  book  of  Esther  read  through  and  to 
curse  Haman ;  after  which  the  time  was  spent  in  festivity 
at  their  own  houses. 

Chronology  of  the  Kings  of  Media  and  Persia,  with  their  Names  as 
given  in  Scripture  and  in  Profane  History,  according  to  Dean 
Prideaux. 

B.  c.    Reigned. 

I.  e.  Deioces         .  .  709  53yrs. 

Phraoetes  .  .  656  22    " 

Cyaxares  I.  .  634  40    " 

ASTYAGES      .  .  594  35    " 

xi.  Cyaxares     .  .  560  23*" 

Cyrus   .        .  .  537    7    " 

Cambyses     .  .  530    7    " 

Smerdis        .  .  522    7  mo. 


Arphaxad,  Judith  i.  1   . 
(Not  mentioned  in  Scripture) 
(Not  mentioned  in  Scripture) 
Ahasuerus,  Dan.  ix.  1   . 
Darius  THE  MEDEjDan.vi.,  ix 
Cyrus,  Dan.  x. ;  Ezra  i.  . 
Ahasuerus,  Ezra  iv.  6   . 
Artaxerxes,  Ezra  iv.  7-23 
Darius,  Ezra  iv.  24 ;  vi.  . 
(Not  mentioned  in  Scripture) 
Artaxerxes,  Ezra  vii. ;  Neli.  i. 
Ahasuerus,  Esther, 


Darius  Hystaspis  521  3671-8, 
Xerxes         .        .  485  21t " 
Artaxerxes  j      ^  ^g^  ^^    » 

LONGIMANUS  / 


Subsequent  Kings. 

B.  c.  Reigned. 

Xerxes  II 424  45  days 

SoGDiANUS 424  6  mo. 

Darius  II.,  Ochus  or  Nothus  ....  423  18  yrs. 

Artaxerxes  II.,  or  Mnemon  ....  405  46   " 

Artaxerxes  III.,  or  Ochus     ....  359  21    " 

Arces 338  2   " 

Darius  III.,  or  Codomanus      .        .        .        .  336  0    " 
Alexander  the  Great  overthrew  the  Persian 

empire 330 


*  This  includes  the  two  years  that  Darius  reigned  over  Babylon,  b.  c. 
538. 

■f  Josephus  and  Jahn  think  he  was  the  Artaxerxes  of  Ezra  vii.  and 
Nehemiah,  and  the  Ahasuerus  of  Esther,  but  Prideaux  has  been  followed 
in  the  present  work,  who  recognizes  this  Artaxerxes  and  Ahasuerus  in 
Artaxerxes  Longimanus. 


B 


258  JOB.  B.  c.  1520. 

THE  FIVE 

POETICAL  BOOKS, 

OR 

HOLY  WKITINGS. 

LAnoS,  "HOLY,"  AND  rPA«I>E  "A  WRITING;"  INCLUDING  JOB, 
PSALMS,  PROVERBS,  ECCLESIASTES,  AND  SOLOMON'S  SONG— 
CHIEFLY  WRITTEN  IN  HEBREW  METRE.— See  Introduction.] 


JOB. 

{Supposed  to  have  been  written  by  Job  and  transcribed  by  Moses.) 


ANALYSIS. 


Chronology  of  the  time  of  Job. — His  country. — His  condition 
and  character. — Afflicted  by  Satan  by  divine  permission. — Visited 
by  his  three  friends,  Eliphaz,  Bildad,  and  Zophar. — Job  and  his 
three  friends  reproved  by  Elihu. — Jehovah  appears  to  Job. — Job 
humbles  himself  and  is  restored  to  prosperity. — Prophetical  inti- 
mations of  the  Messiah. 


SUMMARY. 


595.  Chronology  of  the  Thne  of  Job, — Job  is  sup- 
posed by  Usher  to  have  lived  about  B.C.  1520,  whilst 
Moses  was  residing  in  Midian,  but  the  following  circum- 
stances seem  to  place  him  much  earlier:  1st.  His  lon- 
gevity, which  was  considerable,  as  he  did  not  die  until  one 
hundred  and  forty  years  after  his  afflictions,  and  was  prob- 
ably sixty  or  seventy  years  old  when  they  commenced,  for 
he  had  seven  sons  grown  up  and  settled  "  in  their  houses." 
Job  i.  4,  5.     2d.  His  speaking  of  the  most  ancient  kind 


B.  c.  1520,  JOB   I. 


259 


of  writing— by  sculpture,  xix.  24.  3d.  His  riches  being 
reckoned  by  his  cattle,  xlii.  12.  4th.  His  acting  as  high 
priest  in  his  family  according  to  patriarchal  usage.  Gen. 
viii.  20.  5th.  His  allusions  to  Zabianism,  or  the  worship 
of  the  sun  and  moon,  which  was  the  most  ancient  species 
of  idolatry.  Dr.  Hales,  moreover,  fixes  the  time  of  Job's 
trial  at  about  one  hundred  and  eighty-four  years  before 
the  birth  of  Abraham,  and  founds  his  opinion  upon  a 
retrograde  astronomical  calculation  concerning  the  period 
when  the  principal  stars  referred  to  in  Job  ix.  9  and 
xxxviii.  31,  32,  by  the  names  of  Chemah  and  Chesil,  or 
Taurus  and  Scorpio,  were  the  cardinal  constellations  of 
spring  and  autumn,  as  Pisces  and  Virgo  are  at  present. 
All  commentators  and  critics,  however,  are  agreed  that 
the  poem  of  Job  is  the  most  ancient  book  in  existence. 

596.  His  Coimtry. — Job  resided  in  the  land  of  Uz, 
which  was  evidently  Idumjea.  Lam.  iv.  21.  Uz  was  the 
grandson  of  Seir  the  Horite  (Gen.  xxxvi.  20,  28),  who 
inhabited  Idum^a  prior  to  Abraham,  and  the  territory 
was  then  called  Seir ;  but  his  posterity  being  afterward 
expelled  by  the  Idumseans  or  Edomites,  the  country  was 
called  Edom.  Deut.  ii.  12.  There  are  two  other  men 
named  Uz — the  grandson  of  Shem  and  the  son  of  Nahor, 
the  brother  of  Abraham— but  it  is  not  clear  whether  any 
district  was  called  after  their  names. 

597.  His  Condition  and  Character, — Job  was  an 
Arabian  emir  or  prince  of  distinguished  wealth  and  enii- 
nent  piety.  His  sons  were  in  the  habit  of  feasting  in 
each  other's  houses  in  turns,  and  when  their  feasts  were 
concluded  Job  would  always  send  and  sanctify  them,  and 
offer  burnt-offerings  for  each  one  early  in  the  morning, 
for  he  said,  "  It  may  be  that  my  sons  have  sinned  and 
cursed  God  in  their  hearts."  Job  i.  1-5. 

598.  Afflicted  by  Satan  by  I>ivine  Permission. — 
Satan  was  permitted  by  God  to  afiiict  Job  in  order  to  try 
his  virtue,  but  at  first  was  not  allowed  to  injure  him  per- 
sonally. The  following  calamities  accordingly  befell  Job's 
property  and  family :  1st.  A  company  of  Sabseans  carried 
off  his  oxen  and  asses,  and  slew  all  the  servants  save  one, 
who  escaped  to  tell  the  tale.  2d.  A  fire  from  heaven  de- 
stroyed all  his  sheep  and  all  his  shepherds  save  one.  3d. 
The  Chaldeans  carried  off  his  camels,  and  killed  all  the 


260  JOB   I.  B.  c.  1520. 

servants  with  them  save  one.  4th.  Whilst  his  seven  sons 
and  three  daughters  were  feasting  in  their  eldest  brother's 
house  a  violent  wind  blew  down  the  house  and  crushed 
them  beneath  its  ruins.  These  disasters  occurred  almost 
simultaneously,  for  each  successive  bearer  of  the  sad 
tidings  reached  Job  whilst  his  predecessor  was  yet  speak- 
ing ;  but  Job  resisted  the  temptation  to  repine,  and  said, 
"  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away ;  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord !"  Satan  was  now  suffered  to 
afflict  Job's  person  without  taking  his  life,  and  accord- 
ingly smote  him  with  sore  boils  from  the  sole  of  his  foot 
to  his  crown,  and  his  wife  prompted  him  to  curse  God 
and  die;  but  Job  replied,  "Shall  we  receive  good  at 
the  hand  of  God,  and  not  receive  evil?"  Job  i.  6-22; 
ii.  1-10. 

599.  Visited  by  his  three  Friends,  Eliphaz,  Bih- 
dad,  and  Zophar, — Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  Bildad  the 
Shuhite,  and  Zophar  the  Naamathite  now  agreed  to  visit 
Job  and  mourn  and  condole  with  him,  but  when  they 
saw  his  afflictions  they  sat  down  by  him  without  speak- 
ing for  seven  days  and  nights.  The  grief  of  Job  then 
burst  forth  in  passionate  exclamations  and  a  vehement 
execration  of  the  day  of  his  birth,  and  his  patience  was 
now  more  exquisitely  tried  by  the  unjust  suspicions,  bitter 
reproaches,  and  violent  altercations  of  his  friends.  The 
latter  concluded  that  Job's  afflictions  were  the  expressions 
of  the  divine  displeasure  on  account  of  some  heinous  and 
secret  transgressions ;  and  accordingly  they  reproved  him 
for  his  impatience,  called  in  question  his  integrity,  ad- 
monished him  that  the  chastisement  of  God  was  not  to  be 
despised,  and  upbraided  him  with  arrogance  and  false- 
hood for  presuming  to  defend  himself  against  their  accu- 
sations. Moreover  they  all,  with  a  manifest  though  indi- 
rect allusion  to  Job,  discoursed  very  copiously  concerning 
the  divine  judgments,  which  are  always  openly  displayed 
against  the  wicked,  and  of  the  certain  destruction  of  hypo- 
critical pretenders  to  virtue  and  religion.  Job  replied  to 
this  by  enumerating  his  sufferings  and  complaining  bit- 
terly of  the  inhumanity  of  his  friends  and  severity  of 
God.  This  only  irritated  his  visitors  the  more,  and  they 
severely  reproached  him  with  pride,  impiety,  passion,  and 
madness.     A  vehement  discussion  then  followed  on  the 


B.  c.  1520.  JOB   II.-XXXVII.  261 

power  of  the  Almighty  and  the  justice  of  his  decrees,  in 
which  the  weapons  of  satire  and  ridicule  were  mingled 
with  those  of  reason  and  argument,  and  in  which  Job 
answered  the  fierce  accusations  of  his  three  friends  by 
animated  and  confident  appeals  to  the  tribunal  of  God 
himself  The  three  friends  then  remained  silent,  and  Job 
expressed  the  true  sentiments  of  his  heart  concerning  the 
fate  of  the  wicked,  and  allowed  that  their  prosperity  was 
unstable,  and  that  they  and  their  descendants  would  at 
last  experience  that  God  was  the  avenger  of  iniquity; 
but  he  contended  that  the  divine  counsels  do  not  admit 
of  human  investigation,  and  that  the  chief  wisdom  of 
man  consisted  in  the  fear  of  God.  He  then  beautifully 
descanted  upon  his  former  prosperity,  and  contrasted  it 
with  his  present  aflfliction  and  debasement ;  and  lastly,  in 
answer  to  the  implications  of  his  opponents,  he  related 
the  principal  transactions  of  his  past  life,  asserted  his 
integrity  as  displayed  in  all  the  duties  of  life  and  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  man,  and  again  appealed  to  the  justice 
and  omniscience  of  the  Almighty  in  attestation  of  his 
veracity.  Job  ii.  11-13;  iii.-xxxi. 

600.  Job  and  his  three  Friends  reproved  by  Elihti, 
— Elihu  the  Buzite,  a  young  man,  now  came  forward  and 
rebuked  Job  and  his  three  friends.  He  declared  that  it 
was  unnecessary  for  God  to  explain  and  develop  his  coun- 
sels to  men,  though  he  nevertheless  admonished  them  by 
visions  and  revelations,  and  by  calamities  and  diseases,  to 
reprove  their  arrogance  and  reform  their  obduracy ;  and 
he  reproved  Job  for  pronouncing  himself  to  be  upright 
and  for  affirming  that  God  had  acted  unjustly  toward 
him.  He  then  refuted  the  unjust  suspicions  of  Job's 
friends,  and  declared  that  God  often  chastened  men  be- 
cause they  did  not  confide  in  him  or  humbly  submit  to 
his  will ;  and  concluded  with  a  grand  description  of  the 
omnipotence  of  the  Creator.  Job  xxxii.-xxxvii. 

601.  Jehovah  appears  to  Job, — Jehovah  himself 
now  appeared  in  a  whirlwind  and  addressed  Job  in  a 
sublime  speech,  in  which  he  disdained  to  explain  his  di- 
vine counsels,  but  reproved  the  temerity  of  Job  by  con- 
victing him  of  ignorance  in  being  unable  to  comprehend 
the  works  of  his  creation — the  nature  and  structure  of 
the  earth,  the  sea,  the  light,  and  the  animal  kingdom ; 


262  PSALMS. 

and  then  demonstrated  his  weakness  by  challenging  him 
to  emulate  any  single  exertion  of  the  divine  energy,  or 
even  to  contend  with  various  animals  of  the  brute  crea- 
tion which  are  particularly  mentioned.  Job  xxxviii.-xli. 

602.  Job  hunibles  hhnself,  and  is  restored  to  Pros- 
perity,— Job  now  humbled  himself  before  God,  and  ac- 
knowledged his  own  ignorance  and  imbecility,  and  re- 
pented in  dust  and  ashes.  His  three  friends  had  also 
incurred  the  anger  of  God,  and  were  required  to  sacrifice 
seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams  for  a  burnt-offering,  and 
to  go  to  Job,  who  then  prayed  and  interceded  for  them. 
Job  was  afterward  greatly  blessed  by  God  ;  he  had  again 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  his  possessions  and 
cattle  were  doubled.  Job  xlii. 

603.  Prophetical  Intifnation  of  the  Messiah, — 
There  is  an  important  intimation  of  the  Messiah  in  this 
book,  which  may  be  regarded  both  as  a  prophecy  and  as 
a  profession  of  faith  on  the  part  of  Job  in  a  promised  Re- 
deemer : 

"  For  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth, 
And  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth." 

Job  xix.  25. 


PSALMS. 

AUTHORSHIP.— SUBJECTS.— CLASSIFICATION.— MEANING   OF   THE 
WORD  "SELAH." 

604.  Authorship, — The  book  of  Psalms  contains  one 
hundred  and  fifty  lyric  poems,  generally  supposed  to  have 
been  written  by  Moses,  David,  Solomon,  Asaph,  He- 
man,  Ethan,  Jeduthun,  and  the  three  sons  of  Korah  ; 
others  have  been  ascribed  to  Adam,  Melchizedek,  etc., 
but  without  authority.  As  they  have  been  more  particu- 
larly attributed  to  David,  and  he  is  thought  to  have  col- 
lected those  written  previously  into  a  book,  they  are  called 
"  the  Psalms  of  David,"  and  he  himself  has  been  styled 
the  "royal  Psalmist." 

605.  Subjects, — The  Psalms  are  said  by  Athanasius 
to  be  an  epitome  of  the  whole  Scriptures ;  by  Basil,  to 
be  a  compendium  of  all  theology ;  by  Luther,  to  be  a 


PROVERBS.  263 

little  Bible  and  the  summary  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and 
by  Melanchthon,  to  be  the  most  elegant  writing  in  the 
whole  world.  According  to  Bishop  Home,  they  are  an 
epitome  of  the  Bible,  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  devotion, 
and  treat  occasionally  of  the  creation  and  formation  of  the 
world ;  the  dispensations  of  providence  and  the  economy 
of  grace ;  the  transactions  of  the  patriarchs ;  the  exodus 
of  the  children  of  Israel ;  their  journey  through  the  wil- 
derness and  settlement  in  Canaan  ;  their  law,  priesthood, 
and  ritual;  the  exploits  of  their  great  men  wrought 
through  faith ;  their  sins  and  captivities ;  their  repent- 
ances and  restorations ;  the  sufferings  and  victories  of 
David ;  the  peaceful  and  happy  reign  of  Solomon ;  the 
advent  of  the  Messiah,  with  its  effects  and  consequences, 
his  incarnation,  birth,  life,  passion,  death,  resurrection, 
ascension,  kingdom,  and  priesthood ;  the  effusion  of  the 
Spirit;  the  conversion  of  the  Jew^s;  the  establishment, 
increase,  and  perpetuity  of  the  Christian  Church;  the 
end  of  the  world ;  the  general  judgment ;  the  condemna- 
tion of  the  wicked ;  and  the  final  triumph  of  the  right- 
eous with  their  Lord  and  King. 

606.  Classification, — The  Psalms  are  generally  di- 
vided into  five  books.  Book  I.  begins  with  Ps.  i. ;  Book 
II.,  with  Ps.  xlii. ;  Book  HI.,  with  Ps.  Ixxiii. ;  Book  IV., 
with  Ps.  xc. ;  and  Book  V.,  with  Ps.  cvii.  The  first  four 
books  terminate  with  "Amen,"  and  the  last  with  "Hal- 
lelujah." 

607.  Selah. — This  word  occurs  seventy  times  in  the 
Psalms  and  three  times  in  Habakkuk.  It  has  been  sup- 
posed by  some  to  signify  a  rest  or  change  in  the  song  or 
modulation;  by  others,  to  be  equivalent  to  our  word 
"slow;"  and  by  others,  to  mean  a  repeat,  or  "Amen," 
or  "the  end." 


PROVERBS. 

(  Written  chiefly  by  Solomon.) 


608.  Authorship  and  Scope, — The  book  of  Proverbs 
was  written  chiefly  by  Solomon,  and  probably  included 
a  selection  from  the  3000  proverbs  which  he  composed. 


264  ECCLESIASTES. 

1  Kings  iv.  32.  Its  object  is  to  instruct  men  in  the 
deepest  mysteries  of  true  wisdom  and  understanding, 
the  height  and  perfection  of  which  is  the  sincere  fear 
OF  THE  Lord.  The  book  is  thus  filled  with  the  choicest 
sententious  aphorisms,  infinitely  surpassing  all  the  ethi- 
cal sayings  of  the  ancient  sages,  and  comprising  in 
themselves  distinct  doctrines,  duties,  and  rules  of  piety 
toward  God,  of  equity  and  benevolence  in  dealings  with 
the  world,  and  of  sobriety  and  temperance  in  the  gov- 
ernment of  self.  It  likewise  includes  precepts  for  the 
right  education  of  children,  and  for  the  relative  situa- 
tion of  subjects,  magistrates,  and  sovereigns. 


ECCLESIASTES. 

(EKKleaiaaTTj^,  "  a  preacher." — Written  by  Solomon.) 

609.  Authorship  and  Scope. — The  beautiful  descrip- 
tions which  this  book  contains  of  the  phenomena  in  the 
natural  world  and  the  economy  of  the  human  frame 
prove  it  to  have  been  the  work  of  a  philosopher ;  ac- 
coidingly,  it  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  written 
by  Solomon  in  his  old  age,  when  he  had  repented  of  his 
sin  and  folly,  and,  having  drained  the  cup  of  pleasure  to 
its  dregs,  had  become  fully  convinced  of  the  vanity  of 
everything  except  piety  toward  God. 

610.  The  scope  of  this  book  is  to  demonstrate  the  van- 
ity of  all  earthly  objects,  and  to  draw  off"  men  from  pur- 
suing them  as  an  apparent  good,  and  direct  them  to  the 
highest  and  only  permanent  good  in  this  life — namely,  to 
the  fear  of  God  and  communion  with  him.  The  object 
of  the  Preacher's  inquiry  is,  therefore.  What  is  the  Sov- 
ereign GOOD  of  man  ?  and  after  discussing  various  erro- 
neous opinions,  he  finally  determines  that  it  consists  in 
TRUE  WISDOM ;  and  his  w  hole  argument  then  consists  in 
the  praise  and  recommendation  of  w^isdom  as  the  su- 
preme good  to  creatures  responsible  for  their  actions.  In 
this  wisdom  is  not  included  a  single  particle  of  that  which 
is  worldly  and  carnal,  so  frequently  pursued  by  men  ad- 


SONG   OF   SOLOMON.  265 

dieted  to  viee,  the  minions  of  avarice,  and  the  slaves  of 
their  passions ;  but  that  which  is  from  above,  that  which 
is  holy,  spiritual,  undefiled,  and  which,  in  the  writings  of 
Solomon,  is  but  another  word  for  religion. 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON. 

( Written  by  Solomon.) 


611.  Stibject  and  Meaning, — This  nuptial  song  or 
lyrical  drama  is  supposed  to  have  been  included  in  the 
1005  songs  of  Solomon  mentioned  in  1  Kings  iv.  32.  It 
is  of  a  pastoral  character,  and  has  been  divided  into  seven 
parts,  according  to  the  seven  days  of  the  marriage-feast 
amongst  the  Jews ;  but  some  critics  have  regarded  it  as 
a  series  of  poems  or  idyls,  each  distinct  and  independent 
of  the  other. 

612.  The  subject  of  this  beautiful  composition  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  marriage  of  Solomon  with  Pha- 
raoh's daughter,  though  Home  and  others  think  that  the 
bride  must  have  been  of  Hebrew  origin,  as  she  declares 
herself  to  be  a  native  of  Sharon,  which  was  a  canton 
of  Palestine.  Cant.  ii.  1.  But  all  ages  seem  to  have  de- 
termined that  this  marriage  afforded  the  veil  of  a  sub- 
lime and  mystical  allegory,  delineating  the  bridal  union 
between  Jehovah  and  his  pure  and  uncorrupted  Church. 
God  had  selected  a  peculiar  people,  of  the  posterity  of 
Abraham,  from  among  the  nations,  and  ratified  his 
choice  by  a  solemn  compact  which  was  founded  upon 
reciprocal  conditions — on  the  one  part,  love,  protection, 
and  support;  on  the  other,  faith,  obedience,  and  pure 
and  devout  worship.  This  solemn  union  between  God 
and  his  Church  has  been  celebrated  by  almost  all  the 
sacred  writers  under  a  similar  image ;  the  word  adultery 
has  denoted  idolatrous  worship,  and  our  Lord  himself 
has  adopted  the  title  of  Bridegroom  (Matt.  ix.  15 ;  xxv. 
1) ;  and  the  Lamb's  spouse— i.  e.  the  Church— is  rep- 
resented as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband.  Kev.  xxi. 
2,9. 

23 


THE 

SIXTEEN  PROPHETICAL  BOOKS. 

[There  are  sixteen  Prophetical  authors  and  seventeen  Pro- 
phetical Books,  but  the  latter  are  only  calculated  at  sixteen, 
as  the  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah  are  considered  as  a  sup- 
plement to  his  Prophecies. 

The  prophetical  Authors  are  divided  into  two  classes — viz. 
I.  The  Four  Greater  Prophets,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Eze- 
kiel,  and  Daniel.  II.  The  Twelve  Minor  Prophets, 
Hosea,  Joel,  Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah,  Micah,  Nahum,  Habak- 
kiiJc,  Zephaniah,  Uaggai,  Zechariah,  aiid  Malachi.] 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE 


OF  THE  PROBABLE  PERIODS  IN  WHICH  THE  PROPHETS  FLOURISHED. 

[The  Greater  Prophets  are  in  hold  letters.] 
I.  Before  the  Captivity. 


Prophets. 

B.  C. 

JUDAH. 

Israel. 

1  Jonah  .    . 

856-784. 

Jehu  and  Jehoahaz, 

* 

or  Joash  and  Je- 
roboam II. 

2.  Amos    .    . 

810-785. 

Uzziah. 

Jeroboam  II. 

3.   HOSEA        . 

810-725. 

Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 
and  Hezekiah. 

Jeroboam  II. 

4.   Isaiah  .     . 

758-698. 

Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 

Jeroboam  II.,  Zecha- 

Hezekiah, and  Ma- 

riah, Shallum,  Me- 

li  asseh. 

nahem,  Pekahiah, 
Pekah,  and  Ho- 
shea. 

5.  Joel    .    . 

810-660, 
or  later. 

Uzziah  or  Manasseh. 

Ditto. 

6.  Micah 

758-699. 

Jotham,     Ahaz,     and 
Hezekiah. 

Pekah  and  Hoshea. 

7.  Nahttm     . 

720-698. 

Hezekiah. 

8.  Zephaniah  640-609.  Josiah. 

9.  Jeremiah       628-586.  Josiah,  Jehoahaz,  Je- 

hoiakim,       Jehoia- 
chin,  and  Zedekiah. 

266 


B.  c.  758-698. 


ISAIAH.  26'; 


II.  During  the  Captivity. 
Prophets.           b.  c.  Judah. 

10.  Habakkuk  612-598.  Jeboiakim. 

1 1.  Daniel  .     .     606-534.  During  the  whole  of  the  Captivity. 

12.  Obadiah  .     588-583.  Between    the  taking   of  Jerusalem    by  Ne- 

buchadnezzar and  his  destruction  of  the 
Edomites. 

1 3.  Ezekiel      .    595-536.  During  part  of  the  Captivity. 

III.  After  the  Captivity, 

14.  Haggai    .     520-418,  Under    Zerubbabel,   after  the    return   from 

or  longer.       captivity. 

15.  Zechariah  520-548,  Ditto. 

or  longer. 

16.  Malachi      436-420.  Nehemiah. 


THE 

FOUR  GREATER  PROPHETS. 

I,  Isaiah— his  life  and  period,  cir.  758-698.— Scope  of  his 
prophecies. — Principal  subjects. — Prophecies  of  the  Messiah. 

II,  Jeremiah — his  life  and  period,  cir.  628-586. — Subjects 
of  his  prophecies. — Book  of  Lamentations. 

III,  Ezekiel — his  life  and  prophecies,  595-536. 

IV,  Daniel— his  early  life,  cir.  626-606.— Interprets  Ne- 
buchadnezzar's first  dream :  the  image  of  four  empires,  cir.  603. — 
Nebuchadnezzar  sets  up  a  golden  image,  cir.  580. — His  second 
dream :  the  tree,  570 ;  his  madness,  cir.  569-563. — Daniel's  vision 
of  four  beasts,  555. — Vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat,  553. — Bel- 
shazzar's  feast  and  death,  538. — Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,  538. — 
Foretells  the  exact  time  of  the  coming  and  death  of  the  Messiah, 
538. — His  other  prophecies. 

I.  ISAIAH. 

613.  lAfe  and  Period  of  Isaiah,  cir,  758-698,— 

Isaiah  was  the  son  of  Amoz,  and  flourished  during  the 
reigns  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  Hezekiah,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  martyred  by  being  sawn  asunder  in  the  first 
year  of  Manasseh's  reign.  According  to  the  lowest  com- 
putation, and  reckoning  from  the  last  year  of  Uzziah's 
reign  to  the  first  of  Manasseh's,  he  must  have  prophesied 
during  b.  c.  758-698,  about  sixty  years.  At  the  beginning 
of  this  period  both  the  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel 


268  ISAIAH.  B.  c.  758-698. 

were  in  a  most  flourishing  condition;  Judah  had  con- 
quered the  Philistines,  made  the  Ammonites  tributary,  and 
subdued  some  Arabian  tribes  in  Arabia  Deserta,  whilst 
Israel  had  recovered  the  Trans-Jordanic  territory  from 
Benhadad  and  conquered  Damascus  and  Hamath.  But 
Isaiah  lived  to  see  idolatry  established  in  Judah  and 
Israel  carried  into  Assyrian  captivity. 

614.  Scope  of  Ms  Prophecies. — The  scope  of  Isaiah's 
predictions  is  threefold : 

1.  To  detect,  reprove,  aggravate,  and  condemn  the  sins  of 
the  Jews  especially,  and  also  the  iniquities  of  the  ten  tribes 
of  Israel  and  the  abominations  of  the  Gentiles. 

2.  To  invite  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  to  repentance  and 
reformation  by  numerous  promises  of  God's  pardon  and 
mercy. 

3.  To  prophesy  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  which  he  does 
so  much  more  clearly  and  copiously  than  any  other 
prophet  that  he  has  been  emphatically  styled  the  "  Evan-- 

GELICAL  PkOPHET." 

615.  JPHncipal  Subjects, — The  chief  subjects  of  Isa- 
iah's prophecies  are : 

1.  The  captivities  and  restoration  of  Judah  and  Israel, 
xxxix.  6,  7. 

2.  The  ruin  and  desolation  of  Babylon,  Tyre,  Damas- 
cus, Egypt,  etc.,  and  the  destruction  of  Syria  and  Israel 
for  confederating  against  Judah ;  Syria  being  designated 
by  its  chief  city,  Damascus,  and  Israel  by  its  chief  city, 
Ephraim.  vii.  1,  2;  xlvii.  7,  15.  This  was  afterward 
accomplished  by  Tiglath-pileser,  king  of  Assyria,  viii.  4, 
and  sect.  493. 

3.  The  conquests  and  conduct  of  Cyrus,  who  is  men- 
tioned by  name,  and  his  relieving  the  Jews,  nearly  two 
hundred  years  before  his  birth,  xliv.  28 ;  xlvi.  1-5. 

4.  The  prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah — viz. : 

1.  His  divine  character,  vi. ;  vii.  14;  ix.  6;  xxxv.  4; 
xl.  5,  9,10;  xlii.  6-8;  Ixi.  1. 

2.  His  miracles,  xxxv.  5,  6. 

3.  His  peculiar  virtues  and  qualities,  ix.  2,  3;  xl.  11 ; 
xliii.  1-3. 

4.  His  rejection,  vi.  9-12 ;  viii.  14,  15 ;  liii.  3. 

5.  His  sufferings  for  our  sins.  1.  6  ;  liii.  4-11. 

6.  His  death  and  burial,  liii.  8,  9. 


B.  c.  758-698.  ISAIAH.  269 

7.  His  victory  over  death,  xxv.  8 ;  liii.  10-12. 

8.  His  final  glory,  xlix.  7,  22,  23 ;    lii.  13-15 ;    liii. 

9.  The  establishment,  increase,  and  perfection  of  his 
kingdom,  ii.  2-4 ;  ix.  2,  7 ;  xi.  4-10 ;  xvi.  5 ;  xxix.  18- 
24 ;  xxxii.  1 ;  xl.  4,  5 ;  xlii.  4 ;  xlvi.  13 ;  xlix.  9-13 ;  li. 
3-6;  lii.  6-10;  Iv.  1-3;  lix.  16-21 ;  Ix. ;  Ixi.  1-5;  Ixv. 
25.* 

616.  Prophecies  of  the  3Iessiah,  —  The  principal 
prophecies  of  Isaiah  in  reference  to  the  Messiah  are  the 
following : 

*  The  grandest  specimen  of  Isaiah's  poetry  is  presented  in  the  four- 
teenth chapter  of  his  book,  which  is  one  of  the  sublimest  odes  occurring 
in  the  Bible  and  contains  the  noblest  personifications. 

The  prophet  first  predicts  the  liberation  of  the  Jews  from  their  Baby- 
lonian captivity  and  their  restoration  to  Judaea  (ver.  1-3),  and  then  in- 
troduces a  chorus  of  Jews,  who  express  their  surprise  and  astonishment 
at  the  downfall  of  Babylon  and  overthrow  of  her  king.  The  nations 
whom  the  king  of  Babylon  had  oppressed  are  represented  under  the 
image  of  fir  trees  and  cedars  of  Libanus,  who,  whilst  the  whole  earth 
shouts  for  joy,  taunt  the  fallen  tyrant  and  boast  their  security  now  he 
is  no  more.  ver.  4-8.  Hades,  or  the  regions  of  the  dead,  is  now  per- 
sonified, ver.  9.  Hades  excites  his  inhabitants — the  shades  of  princes 
.and  the  departed  spirits  of  monarchs — who  rise  from  their  couches  as 
from  their  thrones,  and,  meeting  the  king  of  Babylon  at  the  entrance 
of  their  cavern,  they  insult  and  deride  him  on  his  impotence  and 
dissolution,  ver.  10,  11.  The  Jews  now  resume  the  speech  (ver.  12); 
they  address  the  king  of  Babylon  as  the  morning-star  fallen  from 
heaven,  and  contrast  his  extravagant  vaunts  with  his  present  low  and 
abject  condition,  ver.  13-15,  A  new  scene  immediately  follows,  which 
diversifies  the  subject  and  gives  it  a  new  turn  and  additional  force. 
Certain  persons  are  introduced  who  light  upon  the  corpse  of  the  king 
of  Babylon,  lying,  naked  and  covered  with  wounds,  upon  the  bare 
ground  and  among  the  common  slain,  just  after  the  taking  of  the  city, 
upon  which  they  severely  taunt  the  tyrant,  and  bitterly  reproach  him 
with  his  destructive  ambition  and  cruel  usage,  ver.  16-20.  To  complete 
the  whole,  God  is  introduced,  declaring  the  fate  of  Babylon,  the  utter 
extirpation  of  the  royal  family,  and  the  total  desolation  of  the  city,  the 
deliverance  of  his  people,  and  the  desolation  of  their  enemies ;  confirm- 
ing the  irreversible  decree  by  the  awful  sanction  of  his  oath.  ver.  21-27. 

"  How  forcible,"  says  Bishop  Lowth,  "  is  this  imagery  !  how  diversi- 
fied !  how  sublime !  how  elevated  the  diction,  the  figures,  the  senti- 
ments !  The  Jewish  nation,  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  the  ghosts  of  de- 
parted kings,  the  Babylonish  monarch,  the  travellers  who  find  his 
corpse,  and,  last  of  all,  Jehovah  himself,  are  the  characters  which  sup- 
port this  beautiful  lyrical  drama.  .  .  .  There  is  nothing  wanting  in 
this  ode  to  defeat  its  claim  to  the  character  of  perfect  beauty  and  sub- 
limity, nor  do  I  know  a  single  instance  in  the  whole  compass  of  Greek 
and  Roman  poetry  which  in  every  excellence  of  composition  can  be  said 
to  equal  or  even  to  approach  it" — Lowth,  Jahn,  and  Home. 

23* 


270  ISAIAH.  B.C.  758-698. 

1.  His  Forerunner. 

"  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness, 
Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
Make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God."  ch.  xl.  3. 

2.  His  Birth. 

"  Behold,  a  virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  son, 
And  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel."  ch.  vii.  14. 

3.  His  Family. 

"  And  in  that  day  there  shall  be  a  root  of  Jesse, 
Which  shall  stand  for  an  ensign  of  the  people ; 
To  it  shall  the  Gentiles  seek  : 
And  his  rest  shall  be  glorious."  ch.  xi.  10. 

4.  His  Name  and  Kingdom. 

"For  unto  us  a  child  is  born. 
Unto  us  a  son  is  given : 

And  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder : 
And  his  name  shall  be  called 
Wonderful,  Counsellor,  The  mighty  God, 
The  everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace. 
Of  the  increase  of  his  government  and  peace  there  shall  be  no 

end. 
Upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  upon  his  kingdom ; 
To  order  it,  and  to  establish  it 
With  judgment  and  with  justice,  from  henceforth  even  for  ever." 

ch.  ix.  6,  7. 

5.  Rejection  by  the  Jews. 

"  And  he  shall  be  for  a  sanctuary ; 
But  for  a  stone  of  stumbling  and  for  a  rock  of  offence 
To  both  the  houses  of  Israel, 

For  a  gin  and  for  a  snare  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem."  ch. 
viii.  14. 

6.  Accepted  by  the  Gentiles. 

"  I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles, 
That  thou  mayest  be  my  salvation  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth." 
ch.  xlix.  6. 

7.  His  Miracles. 

"  Then  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened. 
And  the  ears  of  the  deaf  shall  be  unstopped. 
Then  shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  an  hart, 
And  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  sing."  ch.  xxxv.  5,  6. 


B.C.  628-586.  JEREMIAH.  271 


II.  JEREMIAH. 

617.  Life  and  Period  of  Jeremiah,  eh\  628-586, 

— Jeremiah,  son  of  Hilkiali,  was  of  sacerdotal  race  and  a 
native  of  Aiiathoth,  a  city  set  apart  for  the  priests  in  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin.  He  began  to  prophesy  when  very 
young,  and  continued  for  about  forty-two  years,  reckon- 
ing from  the  thirteenth  year  of  Josiah's  reign.  During 
the  reign  of  Josiah  he  reproved  the  Jews  for  their  wicked- 
ness and  hypocrisy ;  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  reign, 
when  they  seem  to  have  forgotten  the  solemn  covenant 
they  had  made  Avith  God  in  Josiah's  youth,  he  sharply 
rebuked  them  for  their  disobedience,  and  predicted  the 
Babylonian  captivity  as  the  punishment  for  their  univer- 
sal and  incorrigible  depravity  (sect.  534).  During  the 
following  reigns  the  roll  of  his  prophecies  was  publicly 
read  by  Baruch,  but  one  copy  was  burnt  by  Jehoiakim, 
and  Jeremiah  narroAvly  escaped  death.  In  Zedekiah's 
reign  the  prophet  was  consulted  by  the  king  and  im- 
prisoned by  the  nobles ;  but  he  was  afterward  released  by 
Nebuchadnezzar  at  the  taking  of  the  city,  and  remained 
in  Judsea  whilst  Gedaliah  was  governor.  After  the  mur- 
der of  Gedaliah  by  Ishmael,  Jeremiah  followed  the  rem- 
nant of  the  Jews  to  Egypt,  where  it  is  said  he  was  stoned 
by  his  countrymen  for  his  faithful  remonstrances  against 
their  idolatrous  practices.  Others,  however,  say  that  he 
returned  and  died  in  Judsea ;  and  others,  that  he  died  at 
Babylon. 

618.  Subjects  of  his  PropJiecies,— The  principal  sub- 
jects of  Jeremiah's  prophecies  are — 1.  The  fates  of  Je- 
hoiakim and  Zedekiah.  xxii. ;  xxxiv.  2.  The  divine 
judgments  against  Judah.  ii.-xx.,  etc.  3.  The  Babylo- 
nian captivity,  the  precise  time  of  its  duration,  and  the 
return  of  the  Jews,  xxiii. ;  xxv.  4.  The  destruction  of 
Babylon  and  downfall  of  Persia,  Egypt,  Philistia,  Tyre, 
Moab,  Ammon,  Edom,  Damascus,  etc.  xlvi. ;  xlix.  5.  The 
miraculous  conception  of  the  Messiah,  the  virtue  of  liis 
atonement,  his  covenant,  and  his  laws.  xxxi. ;  xxxii. 

619.  Book  of  Lamentations. — Besides  his  prophecies, 
Jeremiah  composed  the  "  Book  of  Lamentations,"  which 
consists  of  five  distinct  elegies  of  twenty-two  periods  each, 
according  to  the  twenty-two  letters  of  the  Hebrew  alpha- 


272  EZEKIEL.  B.  c.  695-536. 

bet.  The  following  calamities  are  deplored  :  viz.  the  im- 
positions of  the  false  prophets  who  had  seduced  the  people 
by  their  lying  declarations,  the  destruction  of  the  holy 
city  and  temple,  the  overthrow  of  the  state,  and  the  ex- 
termination of  the  people. 

III.  EZEKIEL. 

620.  Life  and  rrophecles  of  EzeMel,  595-536, — 

Ezekiel,  son  of  Buzi,  and,  like  Jeremiah,  of  the  sacer- 
dotal race,  was  carried  away  captive  with  Jehoiachin, 
B.  c.  599,  and  prophesied  twenty  years,  commencing  in 
the  fifth  year  of  his  captivity  and  the  thirtieth  from  the 
renewal  of  the  covenant  with  God  in  the  reign  of  Josiah. 
Whilst  Ezekiel  was  among  the  captives  on  the  river  Che- 
bar — which  flows  into  the  Euphrates  about  two  hundred 
miles  north  of  Babylon — the  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  a 
vision  on  a  throne  borne  by  four  cherubim  supported  by 
four  wheels,  and  commanded  him  to  shut  himself  up  in 
his  house.  Whilst  thus  confined  he  represented  the  siege 
of  Jerusalem  on  a  tile  or  slate,  and  lay  on  his  left  side 
three  hundred  and  ninety  days,  and  on  his  right  side  forty 
days,  to  prefigure  the  number  of  years  (three  hundred  and 
ninety)  during  which  God  endured  the  idolatry  of  the 
TEN  TRIBES,  and  the  years  (forty)  during  which  he  bore 
with  the  sins  of  Judah  from  the  solemn  renewal  of  the 
covenant  with  Jehovah  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
During  this  period  his  food  was  to  be  polluted  and  limited 
in  quantity,  to  represent  the  severity  of  the  famine  during 
the  actual  siege,  iii.-v.  After  this  Ezekiel  was  carried  in 
spirit  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  beheld  the  idolatry  of  the 
people  (viii.);  and  the  principal  subjects  of  his  prophecies 
are — the  calamities  of  Judaea,  the  conquest  and  downfall 
of  the  Moabites,  Ammonites,  Edomites,  Philistines,  and 
of  Tyre,  Sidon,  and  Egypt  (xxv.-xxviii.),  the  deliverance 
of  the  Jews  under  Cyrus,  and  their  final  return  from 
their  dispersion  (xxxix.),  together  with  clear  intimations 
of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  xxxiv. 

IV.  DANIEL. 

621.  Early  lAfe  of  Daniel,   cir,   626-606,— ThQ 

prophet  Daniel  belonged  to  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  was 


B.  c.  603. 


DANIEL.  273 


of  royal  descent.  In  b.  c.  606,  being  the  fourth  year  of 
Jehoiakim's  reign,  Nebuchadnezzar  took  Jerusalem  (sect. 
537),  and  carried  off  hostages,  amongst  whom  were  Daniel, 
who  was  then  about  twenty  years  old,  with  Hananiah, 
Mishael,  and  Azariah.  The  hostages,  being  brought  to 
Babylon,  were  educated  in  the  palace,  and  Daniel  was 
called  Belteshazzar,  and  the  three  others  Shadrach,  Me- 
shach,  and  Abednego.  These  four  afterward  lived  on  pulse 
and  water,  and  not  on  the  king's  wine  and  meat,  as  it  was 
proved,  after  ten  days'  trial,  that  their  countenances  were 
not  injured  by  the  poorness  of  their  diet.  They  then 
became  rapidly  renowned  for  their  wisdom  and  rise  in  the 
king's  favor.  Dan.  i. 

622.  Interprets  Nebuchadnezzar^ s  First  Dream 
— the  Image  of  Four  Empires ^  cir,  603. — In  the 
third  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  reign,  about  b.  c.  603*  or 
601,  the  king  had  a  troublous  dream,  but  forgot  its  de- 
tails, and  ordered  his  magicians  to  both  tell  it  and  in- 
terpret it,  with  promises  of  rewards  if  they  succeeded,  but 
of  death  and  destruction  if  they  failed.  The  magicians 
excused  themselves  in  vain,  and  were  condemned,  when 
Daniel,  having  with  his  three  companions  prayed  to  God, 
was  favored  by  the  Almighty  with  a  revelation  of  the 
secret,  and  being  taken  into  the  king's  presence  he  told 
and  interpreted  the  dream,  which  was  as  follows :  Neb- 
uchadnezzar had  seen  a  bright  and  terrible  image,  with 
head  of  fine  gold,  breast  and  arms  of  silver,  belly  and 
thighs  of  brass,  legs  of  iron,  and  feet  partly  of  iron  and 
partly  of  clay ;  when  a  stone  cut  out  without  hands  dashed 
it  to  pieces,  and  it  became  like  chaff  scattered  in  the 
wind,  but  the  stone  became  a  great  mountain  and  filled 
the  whole  earth. 

Daniel  then  told  Nebuchadnezzar  that  he  (the  Babylo- 
nian kingdom)  was  the  head  of  gold ;  that  a  second  king- 
dom, of  silver,  (Medo-Persian,  under  Cyrus)  should  rise  up 
after  him ;  that  a  third,  of  brass  (the  Macedonian,  under 
Alexander),  should  rule  over  the  earth  ;  that  a  fourth,  of 
iron  (the  Roman  commonwealth  and  first  part  of  the 
empire),  should  break  and  subdue  like  iron ;  and  that  a 

*  Prideaux  says  b.  c.  601,  which  is  apparently  the  most  correct  date, 
as  Nebuchadnezzar  began  to  reign  alone  about  b.  c.  604. 

S 


274  DANIEL.  B.  c.  580-555. 

fifth,  of  iron  and  potter's  clay  (the  Roman  empire  divi- 
ded), should  be  partly  strong  and  partly  broken.  Daniel 
then  interpreted  the  stone  cut  out  without  hands  to  signify 
the  kingdom  which  God  should  set  up  (the  kingdom  of 
Christ),  which  should  never  be  destroyed,  but  should  over- 
throw the  nations  and  fill  the  whole  earth.  Nebuchad- 
nezzar then  rewarded  Daniel  and  made  him  ruler  over 
the  province  of  Babylon.  Dan.  ii. 

623.  Nehuchadnezzar  sets  up  a  Golden  Image,  dr. 
580. — Nebuchadnezzar  set  up  a  golden  image,  sixty  cu- 
bits high,  in  the  plain  of  Dura  in  the  province  of  Babylon, 
and  commanded  all  his  subjects  to  worship  it  on  penalty 
of  being  thrown  into  a  furnace.  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abednego  refused  compliance ;  the  furnace  was  heated 
seven  times  its  usual  heat,  and  the  three  Jews  were  thrown 
in;  but  a  form  "like  the  Son  of  God"  delivered  them, 
whilst  they  who  threw  them  in  were  consumed.  Nebu- 
chadnezzar then  blessed  God,  and  issued  a  decree  threaten- 
ing death  to  any  one  who  should  malign  the  three  Jews, 
whom  he  then  promoted  in  the  province  of  Babylon. 
Dan.  iii. 

624.  Nebuchadnezzar's  Second  Dream — the  Tree, 
cir,  570 :  his  3Iadness,  cir.  569-563. — Nebuchadnez- 
zar about  B.  c.  570  dreamed  that  he  saw  a  tall  and  spread- 
ing tree,  when  a  watcher  and  holy  one  came  down  from 
heaven  and  cried.  Hew  it  down,  but  leave  his  stumps  in 
the  earth  with  a  iDand  of  iron  and  brass,  and  let  his  por- 
tion be  wHh  the  beasts,  and  his  heart  be  changed  from 
man's  to  a  beast's  for  seven  times  (years).  Daniel  inter- 
preted this  to  signify  that  Nebuchadnezzar  should  lose  his 
understanding,  and  be  driven  from  men  and  dwell  with 
beasts  for  seven  years. 

The  next  year,  b.  c.  569,  Nebuchadnezzar  was  vaunting 
his  power  in  his  palace  at  Babylon,  when  the  dream  was 
fulfilled  (b.  c.  569-563) ;  but  at  the  end  of  seven  years  he 
lifted  up  his  eyes,  his  understanding  returned,  and  he 
praised,  extolled,  and  honored  the  God  of  heaven.  Dan.  iv. 

625.  Daniel's  Vision  of  Four  Deasts,  555. — Neb- 
uchadnezzar died,  and  his  son  Evilmerodach,  his  son-in- 
law  Neriglissor,  and  Laborasoarchod,  son  of  Neri- 
glissor,  reigned  in  succession  after  him.  (See  sect.  562.)  At 
length  (b.  c.  555)  Belshazzar,  grandson  of  Nebuchadnez- 


B.  C.  553-538. 


DANIEL.  27d 


zar,  ascended  the  throne,  and  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign 
Daniel  had  a  vision  of  four  beasts:  1st.  A  lion  with 
eagle's  wings  (Babylon)  ;  and  its  wings  were  plucked  and 
it  stood  like  a  man  (was  checked  by  the  armies  of  Cyrus, 
Darius,  or  Cy^xares).  2d.  A  bear  (Persia),  with  three 
ribs  in  its  mouth  (Babylon,  Lydia,  and  Egypt).  3d.  A 
LEOPARD,  with  four  fowl's  wings  and  four  heads  (Alexan- 
der the  Great  and  his  four  successors).  4th.  A  terrible 
BEAST,  vnih.  iron  teeth  and  brazen  nails  (Roman  empire) 
and  ten  horns  (ten  kingdoms,  variously  enumerated)  ;  and 
a  little  horn  rose  amongst  them  with  eyes  and  mouth 
speaking  great  things  (Antichrist,  the  Papacy),  which 
plucked  up  three  of  the  first  horns.  Daniel  then  beheld 
the  thrones  cast  dow^n,  and  the  Ancient  of  Days  sitting, 
the  judgment  set,  and  the  books  opened ;  and  one  like  the 
Son  of  man  came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  power 
was  given  him  over  all  nations,  an  everlasting  dominion, 
and  a  kingdom  which  could  not  be  destroyed. 

One  that  stood  by  then  told  Daniel  that  the  four  beasts 
were  four  kingdoms,  and  that  the  little  horn  would  war 
upon  the  saints  until  the  Ancient  of  Days  came,  when 
the  Most  High  would  have  everlasting  dominion  and  the 
saints  possess  the  kingdom.     Dan.  vii. — Lowth  and  Home. 

626.  Vision  of  the  Hani  and  He-goat,  553, — In 
the  third  year  of  Belshazzar's  reign  Daniel  saAV  a  vision 
of  a  ram  with  two  horns  (Medo-Persian  empire),  which 
was  crushed  by  a  he-goat  with  one  horn  (Macedo-Grecians 
under  Alexander) ;  the  he-goat  increased  in  power,  and 
his  one  horn  was  fractured,  and  succeeded  by  four  horns 
(Greece,  Thrace,  Syria,  and  Egypt).  A  little  horn  arose 
amongst  the  four  horns  (the  Romans,  who  reduced  Jeru- 
salem to  that  desolation  which  was  to  last  for  2300  pro- 
phetic days — i.  e.  years,  ver.  14).  Dan.  viii. — Lowth  and 
Home, 

627.  Belshazzar's  Feast  and  Death,  538, — Bel- 
shazzar  made  a  feast  to  1000  of  his  lords,  and  profaned 
the  sacred  vessels  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  brought 
from  Jerusalem,  when  a  hand  wrote  upon  the  wall,  and 
none  of  the  astrologers  could  decipher  the  writing.  Daniel 
was  then  introduced  by  the  grandmother  of  Belshazzar 
and  wife  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  He  declared  the  words  to 
be  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin  : 


276  DANIEL.  B.  c.  538 

Mene — God  hath  numbered  thy  kingdom  and  finished 
it. 

Tekel — ^Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balances  and  found 
wanting. 

Peres — Thy  kingdom  is  divided  and  given  to  the 
Medes  and  Persians.* 

Daniel  was  then  rewarded,  and  proclaimed  the  third 
ruler  in  the  kingdom ;  but  the  same  night  Babylon  was 
taken  by  Cyrus  and  Belshazzar  slain.  (See  sect.  567.) 
Dan.  V. 

628.  Daniel  in  the  lAons'  Den,  538, — Darius  the 
Mede  having  ascended  the  throne  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
(sect.  568),  appointed  one  hundred  and  twenty  princes 
over  the  whole  kingdom  under  three  presidents,  of  whom 
Daniel  was  the  first.  The  presidents  and  princes  were 
jealous  of  Daniel,  but  could  bring  no  charge  against  him ; 
and  therefore,  knowing  his  piety  to  God,  they  persuaded 
Darius  to  issue  a  decree  that  for  thirty  days  no  one  should 
pray  to  God  or  man,  but  to  King  Darius  only,  on  pain  of 
being  thrown  into  the  den  of  lions.  Daniel  disobeyed  the 
decree  by  continuing  his  usual  practice  of  praying  to  God 
three  times  a  day,  and  was  immediately  apprehended. 
Darius  tried  to  save  him,  but  was  unable,  as  the  laws  of 
the  Medes  and  Persians  were  unchangeable,  and  the 
prophet  was  thrown  into  the  den.  Next  morning  the 
king  went  to  the  den,  after  passing  a  sleepless  night,  and 
found  Daniel  unhurt,  who  was  then  released,  and  his  ac- 
cusers and  their  wives  and  children  thrown  in,  when  the 
lions  immediately  devoured  them.  Dan.  vi. 

629.  Daniel  foretells  the  Exact  Time  of  the  Coming 
and  Death  of  the  Messiah,  538. — Daniel,  having 
learnt  from  the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah  that  the  seventy 
years'  captivity  was  drawing  to  a  close,  commenced  fasting 
and  prayer  for  the  restoration  of  Jerusalem. 

Whilst  thus  engaged  the  angel  Gabriel  appeared  to 
him,  and  revealed  to  him  the  exact  time  of  the  coming 
and  death  of  the  Messiah  and  duration  of  the  temple : — 

*  The  verb  paras,  whence  Peres  is  derived,  as  an  appellative  sig- 
nifies to  "  divide"  or  "  break ;"  it  is  likewise  the  proper  name  of  the 
Persians,  who  were  to  be  sharers  in  the  division  of  the  Babylonian 
empire.  Upharsin  is  a  particle  of  the  w^rh  paras ;  it  literally  signifies, 
*'And  they  divide  it." — Lowth. 


B.  c.  534.  DANIEL.  277 

"  From  the  going  forth  of  the  commandment  to  restore 
and  to  build  Jerusalem  unto  the  Messiah  the  Prince  shall 
be  seven  weeks,  and  threescore  and  two  weeks :  the  street 
shall  be  built  again,  and  the  wall,  even  in  troublous  times. 
And  after  threescore  and  two  weeks  shall  the  Messiah  be 
cut  off,  but  not  for  himself;  and  the  people  of  the  prince 
that  shall  come  shall  destroy  the  city  and  the  sanctuary." 
Dan.  ix.  25,  26. 

This  prophecy  was  thus  fulfilled  : 

The  commencement  of  the  building  of  the  temple  is 
fixed  in  the  seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  Artaxerxes  Lon- 
gimanus,  B.  c.  458,  when  the  order  was  issued  to  Ezra. 
(See  sect.  584.) 

Prophetic        ^ears 
■weeks.         ^^"^• 

The  building  of  the  temple  lasted  from  b.  c. 

458  to  409,  or 7         49 

The  period  from  the  completion  of  the  temple 
to  the  public  manifestation  of  the  Messiah 
at  the  beginning  of  John  the  Baptist's 
preaching,  extending  from  b.  c.  409  to  A.  D. 
25,  or 62      434 

From  the  manifestation  of  the  Messiah  to  his 

passion  (a.  d.  25  to  32)  were       .         .         .     _1 7 

From  the  building  of  the  temple  to  the  pas- 
sion of  our  Lord,  b.  c.  458  to  A.  d.  32         .     70      490 

(Our  Lord  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  four  years 
before  the  vulgar  era  of  Anno  Domini.) 

630.  DanieVs  otli^r  Tropliecies,  dr,  534, — Daniel 
having  thus  prophesied  the  rise  and  successive  downfall 
of  the  Assyrian,  Grecian,  Persian,  and  Koman  empires  ; 
the  rise  and  fall  of  Antichrist,  and  duration  of  his  power ; 
the  exact  time  of  the  coming  and  death  of  the  Messiah, 
and  his  victories  over  his  enemies,  and  second  destruction 
of  Jerusalem, — he  was  favored  in  his  old  age  by  a  fourth 
and  last  prophetic  vision  of  events  which  extended  through 
successive  ages,  and  only  ended  with  the  general  resurrec- 
tion. In  the  third  year  of  the  reign  of  Cyrus,  whilst 
Daniel  was  fasting  and  making  supplication,  an  angel 
comforted  him,  and  unfolded  to  him — 1st.  The  destruction 
24 


278  HOSEA. 

of  the  Persian  empire  by  Greece,  which  was  accomplished 
by  Alexander ;  2d.  The  partition  of  Alexander's  domin- 
ions into  four  kingdoms  (Greece,  Thrace,  Syria,  and 
Egypt,  erected  by  Cassander,  Lysimachus,  Seleucus,  and 
Ptolemy)  ;  3d.  The  wars  between  the  kingdoms  of  Egypt, 
which  lay  to  the  south  of  Judsea,  and  of  Syria  on  the 
north,  together  with  the  conquest  of  Macedon  by  the 
Romans ;  4th.  The  tyranny  of  the  papal  Antichrist,  which 
was  to  spring  up  under  the  Roman  empire ;  and  5th.  The 
invasion  of  the  Saracens  from  the  south  and  the  Turks 
from  the  north  in  the  time  of  the  end,  or  latter  days  of  the 
Roman  monarchy.  This  amazing  and  comprehensive 
prophecy  concludes  with  foretelling  the  general  resurrec- 
tion, and  with  announcing  the  time  when  all  these  great 
events  were  to  have  their  final  consummation,  when  the 
JcAvs  were  to  be  restored.  Antichrist  destroyed,  the  fulness 
of  the  Gentiles  brought  in,  and  the  millennium,  or  reign 
of  saints,  was  to  begin ;  but  the  exact  period,  until  Provi- 
dence shall  open  more  of  the  seals,  cannot  be  fully  ascer- 
tained. Dan.  x.-xii.* 


THE  TWELVE  MINOR  PROPHETS. 


(Called  MINOR  from  the  brevity  of  their  works,  not  from  the  in- 
feriority oiF  their  writings.) 

631.  1,  Hosea,  cir,  810-725, — Hosea,  son  of  Beeri, 
prophesied  during  the  reigns  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 
and  in  the  third  year  of  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah,  and 
during  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  II.,  king  of  Israel.  His 
subjects  are — the  guilt  and  disobedience  of  the  Jewish 
nation,  the  heavy  judgments  that  awaited  them,  their 

-••  The  book  of  Daniel  was  written  partly  in  Hebrew  and  partly  in 
Chaldee.  The  History  of  Susanna,  and  Bel  and  the  Dragon,  are 
ascribed  to  him,  but  their  authenticity  is  more  than  doubtful.  These 
three  books,  however,  with  Ezekiel's  prophecies,  are  the  only  writings 
extant  of  those  prophesied  in  Babylon  during  the  Captivity;  but  part 
of  the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah,  Habakkuk,  and  Obadiah  were  written 
in  Judsea  about  the  same  time. 


JOEL,   AMOS,  OBADIAH.  279 

final  conversion  and  re-establishment  in  the  Land  of 
Promise,  and  their  restoration  to  God's  favor  and  to  a 
condition  of  the  greatest  national  prosperity,  under  the 
immediate  protection  of  the  Messiah,  in  the  latter  ages 
of  the  world.  Hosea  also  predicts  the  ingrafting  of  the 
Gentiles  into  the  Church  of  God,  and  alludes  to  the  call- 
ing of  our  Lord  from  Egypt,  the  resurrection  on  the  third 
day,  the  overthrow  of  the  Antichristian  army  in  Pales- 
tine by  the  immediate  interposition  of  Jehovah,  and  the 
Saviour's  final  victory  over  death  and  hell. 

The  most  singular  circumstances  in  Hosea's  prophetical 
career  were — his  being  desired  by  God  to  marry,  first,  a 
harlot,  and  afterward  an  adulteress,  as  a  type  of  the  then 
and  after  state  of  the  Jews. 

632.  2,  Joel,  cir,  810-660,  or  later,— It  is  difficult 
to  determine  the  chronology  of  Joel,  son  of  Pethuel.  His 
prophecies  are  exceedingly  poetic.  By  a  cloud  of  locusts 
he  represents  an  enemy's  army  which  desolated  Judaea, 
and  this,  together  with  caterpillars  and  drought,  brought 
on  a  terrible  famine.  God,  being  moved  by  the  calami- 
ties and  prayers  of  his  people,  then  scattered  the  locusts, 
and  the  wind  blew  them  into  the  sea.  Subsequently,  Joel 
foretells  the  day  of  the  Lord  and  his  vengeance.  He 
speaks  of  the  Teacher  of  righteousness  to  come  from 
God,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  descend  upon  all  flesh. 
He  says  that  Jerusalem  will  eternally  be  inhabited,  that 
salvation  will  come  from  thence,  and  that  whosoever  shall 
call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved.  Acts  ii.  6. 

633.  3.  Amos,  cir,  810-785,— Amos  was  a  herds- 
man and  gatherer  of  sycamore-fruit  at  Tekoah  in  Judah, 
about  four  leagues  south  of  Jerusalem,  and  prophesied 
about  the  times  of  Uzziah  of  Judah  and  Jeroboam  II.  of 
Israel.  He  prophesied  against  Damascus,  the  Philistines, 
Tyrians,  Edomites,  Ammonites,  Moabites,  Judah,  and 
Israel,  and  foretold  the  invasions  of  Pul,  Shalmaneser, 
Tiglath-pileser,  Sennacherib,  and  Nebuchadnezzar,  and 
captivity  of  the  ten  tribes. 

634.  4,  Obadiah,  Hr,  588-583, — His  time  is  uncer- 
tain. His  prophecies  are  in  one  chapter,  in  which  he  de- 
nounces judgments  on  the  Edomites  for  their  enmity  to 
the  Jews,  and  foretells  the  restoration  of  the  latter  and 
their  victories  and  flourishing  state. 


280  JONAH,   MICAH. 

635.  5,  Jonah,  cir,  856-784, — Son  of  Amittai,  and 
a  native  of  Gath-hepher  in  Galilee.  He  prophesied  about 
the  time  of  Jeroboam  II.  of  Israel,  during  whose  reign 
he  predicted  the  recovery  of  the  coasts  of  Israel,  which 
had  been  seized  by  the  Syrians.  2  Kings  xiv.  25,  26.  (See 
sect.  471.) 

Jonah  was  sent  by  God  to  cry  against  Nineveh,  but, 
being  fearful,  he  embarked  at  Joppa  to  fly  to  Tarshish. 
During  the  voyage  a  storm  arose,  and  the  mariners,  hav- 
ing thrown  their  wares  overboard,  cast  lots  to  ascertain 
who  was  the  cause  of  the  evil,  when  the  lot  fell  upon 
Jonah,  and  they  threw  him  overboard  and  the  storm 
ceased.  A  great  fish  swallowed  up  Jonah,  who  remained 
in  its  belly  three  days  and  three  nights,  but  upon  pray- 
ing to  God  he  w^as  vomited  upon  dry  ground.  God  then 
a  second  time  sent  Jonah  to  Nineveh,  which  was  three 
days'  journey,  or  about  sixty  miles,  round,  and  Jonah, 
having  made  one  day's  journey  into  it,  cried,  "  In  forty 
days  shall  Nineveh  be  overthrown."  The  Ninevites  then 
repented,  and  their  destruction  was  postponed,  which  dis- 
pleased Jonah  (as  it  affected  his  veracity  as  a  prophet)  ; 
upon  which  God  caused  a  gourd  to  grow  up  in  one  night 
to  shelter  him  from  the  sun's  rays,  but  to  wither  the  next 
night,  as  a  reproof  to  the  prophet,  who  desired  to  spare 
the  gourd,  but  murmured  that  God  should  have  spared 
Nineveh  and  its  120,000  inhabitants. 

Jonah's  preservation  for  three  days  and  three  nights  in 
the  belly  of  the  fish  is  considered  to  be  typical  of  our 
Saviour's  being  held  in  the  jaws  of  death  for  a  similar 
period.  "An  evil  and  adulterous  generation  seeketh 
after  a  sign ;  and  there  shall  no  sign  be  given  to  it,  but 
the  sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas :  for  as  Jonas  was  three 
days  and  three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly ;  so  shall  the 
Son  of  man  be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart 
of  the  earth.  The  men  of  Nineveh  shall  rise  in  judg- 
ment with  this  generation,  and  shall  condemn  it :  because 
they  repented  at  the  preaching  of  Jonas ;  and,  behold,  a 
greater  than  Jonas  is  here."  Matt.  xii.  39-41 ;  xvi.  4 ; 
Luke  xi.  29-32. 

636.  6,  Micah,  cir,  758-699, — Born  at  Morasthi  in 
Southern  Judsea,  and  prophesied  during  the  reigns  of 
Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah.     He  fore- 


NAHUM,   HABAKKUK,   ZEPHANIAH.  281 

told  the  invasions  and  triumphs  of  Shalmaneser  and  Sen- 
nacherib in  Israel  and  Judah ;  the  captivities,  dispersion, 
and  deliverance  of  Israel ;  the  cessation  of  prophecy ;  the 
destruction  of  Assyria  and  Babylon ;  the  representatives 
of  the  Christian*  Church ;  the  birth  of  the  everlasting 
Kuler  at  Bethlehem  Ephratah;  the  establishment  and 
exaltation  of  Christ's  kingdom  over  all  nations ;  the  in- 
fluence of  the  gospel ;  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
— Dr.  Gray. 

"  But  thou,  Bethlehem  Ephratah, 
Though  thou  be  little  among  the  thousands  of  Judah, 
Yet  out  of  thee  shall  He  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  ruler 

in  Israel ; 
"Whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting." 

Mic.  V.  2. 

637.  7.  Ndhum,  dr.  720-698, — Nahum  is  supposed 
to  have  been  a  native  of  Elkosh  or  Elkosha,  a  village  in 
Galilee,  and  of  the  tribe  of  Simeon.  His  prophecy  is 
one  entire  poem,  which,  opening  with  a  sublime  descrip- 
tion of  the  justice  and  power  of  God,  tempered  with  long- 
suffering,  foretells  the  destruction  of  Sennacherib's  forces 
and  the  subversion  of  the  Assyrian  empire,  together  wdth 
the  deliverance  of  Hezekiah  and  death  of  Sennacherib. 
The  destruction  of  Nineveh  is  then  predicted,  and  de- 
scribed w^ith  singular  minuteness. 

638.  8,  Habakkuk,  cir,  612-598.— ^k  tribe  and 
birthplace  are  unknown.  His  prophecies  are  in  two 
parts.  The  first  is  a  kind  of  dialogue  between  God  and 
the  prophet,  in  which  the  Babylonian  captivity  is  threat- 
ened, the  Messiah  promised,  and  the  destruction  of  Bab- 
ylon foretold.  The  second  part  is  a  psalm  or  prayer,  in 
which  Habakkuk  recounts  the  wonderful  works  of  the 
Almighty,  and  implores  him  to  hasten  the  deliverance  of 
his  people. 

639.  9.  ZephaniaJi,  eir,  640-609,— Son  of  Cushi, 
and  prophesied  during  the  reign  of  Josiah.  He  denounced 
Judah  for  her  idolatry ;  preached  repentance  as  the  only 
means  to  avert  the  divine  vengeance ;  prophesied  against 
the  Philistines,  Moabites,  Ammonites,  Ethiopia,  and  Nin- 
eveh ;  and  predicted  the  Babylonian  captivity  and  future 
restoration  and  prosperity  of  the  Church. 

24* 


282  HAGGAI,   ZECHARIAH,  MALACHL 

640.  10,  Haggai,  clr,  S 20-5 18,  or  longer, — His 

birthplace  and  tribe  are  unknown,  but  the  times  of  his 
predictions  are  distinctly  marked  by  himself — viz.  b.  c. 
520,  when  the  Jews,  discouraged  by  the  impediments 
thrown  in  their  way  by  the  Samaritans,  had  ceased  to 
prosecute  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple.  Haggai  was  then 
raised  up  to  exhort  the  Jews  to  complete  the  building. 
Ezra  V.  1,  and  sect.  578.  He  predicted  that  the  glory  of 
the  second  temple  should  exceed  that  of  the  first,  which 
was  fulfilled  when  Christ  entered  it ;  and  he  foretold  the 
setting  up  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom  under  the  name  of 
Zerubbabel. 

641.  11,  Zechariah,cir,  520-518,  or  longer, — Son 
of  Berechiah  and  grandson  of  Iddo,  but  his  tribe  and  birth- 
place are  unknown.  Like  Haggai,  he  returned  from  the 
Captivity  with  Zerubbabel.  His  prophecies  are  in  two 
parts.  In  the  first  he  enjoins  the  restoration  of  the  tem- 
ple, and  intersperses  predictions  relative  to  the  advent  of 
the  Messiah.  In  the  second  he  foretells  more  distant  cir- 
cumstances— the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans ; 
the  future  condition  of  the  Jews ;  their  compunction  at 
having  pierced  the  Messiah ;  their  admission  by  baptism 
to  the  privileges  of  the  gospel  covenant;  and  the  final 
re-establishment  of  Christ's  kingdom. 

After  Isaiah,  the  prophet  Zechariah  referred  most  par- 
ticularly to  the  coming  of  our  Saviour.  He  intimated — 
1st,  The  entrance  of  our  Lord  into  Jerusalem  riding  on 
an  ass.  Zech.  ix.  10 ;  Matt.  xxi.  2-9.  2d,  The  selling  of 
our  Lord  and  the  fate  of  the  money.  Zech.  xi.  12,  13 ; 
Matt.  xxvi.  15 ;  xxvii.  3-10.  3d,  The  piercing  of  our 
Lord's  side.  Zech.  xii.  10;  John  xix.  34-37. 

642.  12,  MalacM,  cir,  454-4;20.— Malachi  was  the 
last  of  the  prophets,  and  completed  the  canon  of  the  Old 
Testament ;  his  exact  time  and  birthplace  are  unknown. 
He  was  commissioned  to  reprove  the  priests  and  people 
for  the  irreligious  practices  into  which  they  had  fallen 
during  and  after  the  governorship  of  Nehemiah,  their 
disrespect  to  God  in  their  sacrifices,  and  their  unlawful 
intermarriages  with  idolatresses.  He  prophesied  the  re- 
jection of  the  Jews,  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  the  com^ 
ing  of  Christ,  and  the  ministry  of  his  foreruimer,  John  the 
Baptist ;  "  Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he  shall 


PROPHECIES,   INTIMATIONS,   ETC. 


283 


prepare  the  way  before  me :  and  the  Lord,  whom  ye  seek, 
shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple,  even  the  messenger  of  the 
covenant  whom  ye  delight  in :  behold,  he  shall  come,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts.  .  .  .  Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah 
the  prophet  before  the  commg  of  the  great  and  dreadful 
day  of  the  Lord."  Mai.  iii. ;  iv.;  Matt.  xi.  14;  xvii.  11 ; 
Mark  ix.  11 ;  Luke  i.  17. 


PKINCIPAL  PKOPHECIES,  INTIMATIONS,  AND  TYPES 
OF  THE  MESSIAH  IN  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

643.  By  God  to  the  Serpent,—''  He  (the  seed  of  the 
woman)  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his 
heel."  Gen.  iii.  15.     (See  Gal.  iv.  4  and  1  John  iii.  18.) 

644.  By  God  to  Abraham, — "  In  thee  shall  all  the 
families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  Gen.  xii.  3 ;  xviii.  18 ; 
xxii.  18.  To  Isaac,  Gen.  xxvi.  4;  and  to  Jacob,  Gen. 
xxviii.  14.     (See  Gal.  iii.  9,  16 ;  Matt.  i.  1.) 

645.  By  Jacob  to  Jiidah,— "The  sceptre  shall  not 
depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his  feet, 
until  Shiloh  come ;  and  unto  him  shall  the  gathering  of 
the  people  be."  Gen.  xlix.  10.  Fulfilled  by  the  high 
priests  continuing  to  exercise  their  authority  until  A.  D. 
70. 

646.  By  Balaam,—"  I  shall  see  him,  but  not  now : 

I  shall  behold  him,  but  not  nigh : 
There  shall  come  a  Star  out  of  Jacob, 
And  a  Sceptre  shall  rise  out  of  Israel." 

Num.  xxiv.  17  ;  Eev.  xxii.  16. 

647.  By  3Ioses  to  the  Israelites,— "  The  Lord  thy 
God  will  raise  up  unto  thee  a  Prophet  from  the  midst  of 
thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me."  Deut.  xviii.  15. 
(See  Acts  vii.  37.) 

648.  By  Job. — "  For  I  know  that  my  Kedeemer  liveth, 
and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth." 
Job  xix.  25.  (See  1  Thess.  iv.  16,  17 ;  1  Cor.  xv.  24-26  ; 
1  Tim.  iii.  16.) 

649.  By  God  to  I>avicZ.— "  I  will  set  up  thy  seed  after 
thee,  which  shall  proceed  out  of  thy  bowels,  and  I  will 
establish  his  kmgdom.     He  shall  build  an  house  for  my 


284       PROPHECIES,   INTIMATIONS,  AND   TYPES   OF 

name,  and  I  will  establish  the  throne  of  his  kingdom  for 
ever."  2  Sam.  vii.  12,  13.     (See  Matt.  i.  1.) 

650.  By  David, — 

"  For  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell ; 

Neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thy  Holy  One  to  see  corruption." 

Ps.  xvi.  10.    (See  Acts  ii.  31 ;  xiii.  33-37 :  1  Cor.  xv.  44.) 

"  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord, 

Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand,  until  I  make  thy  enemies 

thy  footstool."   Ps.  ex.  1.     (See  Matt.  xxii.  42-44; 

Acts  ii.  33;  Heb.  v.  6;  vii.  2,  3,  17.) 

"  Sacrifice  and  offering  thou  didst  not  desire ; 
Mine  ears  hast  thou  opened ; 

Burnt-offering  and  sin-offering  hast  thou  not  required. 
Then  said  I,  Lo,  I  come : 
In  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written  of  me, 
I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  my  God ; 
Yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart." 

Ps.  xl.  6-8.     (See  Heb.  x.  5.) 

"  Yea,  my  own  familiar  friend,  in  whom  I  trusted, 
Which  did  eat  of  my  bread,  hath  lifted  up  his  heel 
against  me."  Ps.  xli.  9.     (See  Matt.  xxvi.  47.) 

"  The  stone  which  the  builders  refused  is  become  the  head- 
stone of  the  corner. 
Blessed  be  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 
Ps.  cxviii.  22,  26.     (See  Matt.  xx.  9,  42 ;  Eph. 

ii.  20 ;  1  Pet.  ii.  7.) 

651.  JBj/  Isaiah, — 

"  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness. 
Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
Make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God." 

Isa.  xl.  3.     (See  Matt.  iii.  1-3 ;  Luke  iii.  4.) 
"  Behold,  a  virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  son. 
And  shall  call  his  name  Immanuel." 

Isa.  vii.  14.     (See  Matt.  i.  20,  23.) 

"  And  in  that  day  there  shall  be  a  root  of  Jesse, 
Which  shall  stand  for  an  ensign  of  the  people ; 
To  it  shall  the  Gentiles  seek : 
And  his  rest  shall  be  glorious." 

Isa.  xi.  10.     (See  Rom.  ix.  33 ;  1  Pet.  ii.  8; 
John  i.  32 ;  iii.  34 ;  Col.  ii.  3.) 


THE    MESSIAH   IN   THE   OLD  TESTAMENT.  285 

"  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born, 
Unto  us  a  son  is  given : 

And  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder : 
And  his  name  shall  be  called 
Wonderful,  Counsellor,  The  mighty  God, 
The  everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace. 
Of  the  increase  of  his  government  and  peace  there  shall 

be  no  end. 
Upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  upon  his  kingdom, 
To  order  it,  and  to  establish  it. 
With  judgment  and  with  justice  from  henceforth  even 

for  ever." 

Isa.  ix.  6,  7.     (See  John  iii.  16 ;  Matt,  xxviii.  18.) 

"  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me ; 
Because  the  Lord  hath  anointed  me 
To  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek ; 
He  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted, 
To  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives, 
And  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound ; 
To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord, 
And  the  day  of  vengeance  of  our  God." 

Isa.  Ixi.  1,  2.     (See  Luke  iv.  18,  19,  21.) 

"  The  people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great 
light: 
They  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  shadow  of  death. 
Upon  them  hath  the  light  shined." 

Isa.  ix.  2.     (See  Matt.  iv.  14-16.) 

"  Then  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened, 
And  the  ears  of  the  deaf  shall  be  unstopped. 
Then  shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  an  hart, 
And  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  sing." 

Isa.  XXXV.  5,  6.     (See  Matt.  xi.  5.) 

"  I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles, 
That  thou  mayest  be  my  salvation  unto  the  end  of  the 
earth."  Isa.  xlix.  6.     (See  Luke  ii.  32.) 

'-'  He  is  despised  and  rejected  of  men ; 
A  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief. 
He  was  Avounded  for  our  transgressions. 
He  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities ; 


286       PROPHECIES,   INTIMATIONS,  AND   TYPES   OF 

The  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  liim ; 
And  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed. 
All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray ; 
We  have  turned  every  one  to  his  own  way ; 
And  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all." 
Isa.  liii.  3,  5,  6.     (See  Matt.  xxvi. ;  xxvii.) 

652.  JBy  tTeremiah, — 

"  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord, 
That  I  will  raise  unto  David  a  righteous  Branch, 
And  a  King  shall  reign  and  prosper, 
And  shall  execute  judgment  and  justice  in  the  earth.  .  . . 
And  this  is  his  name  whereby  he  shall  be  called. 
The  Lord  our  Righteousness." 

Jer.  xxiii.  5,  6.     (See  Luke  i.  32,  33.) 

653.  By  Ezekiel. — 

"  And  I  will  set  up  one  Shepherd  oyer  them,  and  he  shall 
feed  them. 
Even  my  servant  David."  Ezek.  xxxiv.  23 ;  xxxvii. 
24.     (See  John  i.  49 ;  x.  1,  16 ;  xix.  19,  21.) 

654.  By  Daniel, — "  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and, 
behold,  one  like  the  Son  of  man  came  with  the  clouds  of 
heaven,  and  came  to  the  Ancient  of  Days,  and  they  brought 
him  near  before  him.  And  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting 
dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away,  and  his  kingdom 
that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed."  Dan.  vii.  13,  14.  (See 
Matt.  xxiv.  30 ;  xxvi.  64 ;  xxviii.  18.) 

"  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people,  and 
upon  thy  holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to 
make  an  end  of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  in- 
iquity, and  to  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to 
seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint  the  most 
Holy."  Dan.  ix.  24.  (See  Heb.  ix.  26  ;  John  i.  41.  See 
also  sect.  629.) 

655.  By  Hosea, — 

"  When  Israel  was  a  child,  then  I  loved  him, 
And  called  my  Son  out  of  Egypt." 

Hos.  xi.  1.     (See  Matt.  ii.  19,  20.) 

656.  By  Micah, — 

"  But  thou,  Bethlehem  Ephratah, 
Though  thou  be  little  among  the  thousands  of  Judah, 


THE   MESSIAH  IN   THE   OLD   TESTAMENT.  287 

Yet  out  of  thee  shall  He  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to 

be  ruler  in  Israel ; 
Whose  goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from  ever- 
lasting." Mic  V.  2.     (See  Acts  ii.  1,  6 ;  Luke  ii.  4,  5.) 
657.  By  Zecliarlah, — 

"  Behold  the  man  whose  name  is  The  Branch  ; 
And  he  shall  grow  up  out  of  his  place, 
And  he  shall  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord." 

Zech.  vi.  12.     (See  Luke  i.  78,  79.) 
"  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion  ; 
Shout,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem  ; 
Behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee : 
He  is  just,  and  having  salvation ; 
Lowly,  and  riding  upon  an  ass. 
And  upon  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass." 

Zech.  ix.  9.    (See  Matt.  xxi.  5 ;  John  xii.  15.) 
"  So  they  weighed  for  my  price  thirty  pieces  of  silver. 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  me, 
Cast  it  unto  the  potter : 
A  goodly  price  that  I  was  prized  at  of  them." 

Zech.  xi.  12,  13.     (See  Matt.  xxvi.  15.) 
"  And  they  shall  look  upon  me  whom  they  have  pierced. 
And  they  shall  mourn  for  him,  as  one  mourneth  for  his 
only  son." 
Zech.  xii.  10.     (See  John  xix.  34,  36 ;  Acts  ii.  23.) 

658.  By  3Ialachi, — 

"  Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger. 
And  he  shall  prepare  the  way  before  me : 
And  the  Lord,  whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to 

his  temple. 
Even  the  messenger  of  the  covenant." 

Mai.  iii.  1.     (See  Matt.  iii.  1,  3 ;  xi.  10.) 

659.  TJie  Persons  typical  of  the  Messiah  in  the  Old 
Testament  are^Adam,  Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Melchiz- 
edek,  Jacob,  Joseph,  Moses,  Aaron,  Joshua,  David,  Solo- 
mon, Zerubbabel,  etc. 

660.  TJie  Tilings  typical  of  the  Messiah  are — Noah's 
ark,  manna,  the  rock  in  Horeb,  the  brazen  serpent,  the 
passover,  the  Pentecost,  the  feast  of  atonement,  the  high 
priest,  the  paschal  lamb,  circumcision,  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant, the  golden  candlestick,  the  mercy-seat,  the  temple,  etc. 


288  CONNECTION  BETWEEN   THE 


CONNECTION 

BETWEEN  THE 


OLD  AND  NEW  TESTAMENTS, 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  JEWS  FROM  THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF 
NEHEMIAH  TO  THE  BIRTH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 


ANALYSIS. 

I.  Jewish  History  from  Neheraiah  to  the  Revolt  under  the  Maccabees, 
B.  c.  420-166. 

Persia,  B,  C,  420-330, — Chasm  in  the  Jewish  history 
from  Nehemiah  to  Alexander  the  Great. — Joshua  slain  in  the 
temple  by  Jonathan  the  high  priest,  866. — Samaritans  build  the 
temple  at  Gerizim ;  Manasses,  high  priest. — Decline  of  the  Per- 
sian empire. 

Alexander'  the  Great  a^id  his  Successors,  330- 
300, — Alexander's  first  conquests ;  visits  Jerusalem,  332. — Con- 
quers Egypt  and  overthrows  Persia,  332-330.— His  death,  323; 
disputes  among  his  generals. — Four  kingdoms  established  by  per- 
manent treaty. 

Effypt — the  Ptolemies ^  300-202, — Government  under 
the  Ptolemies. — Death  of  Simon  the  Just,  292 :  completion  of  the 
canon  of  Scripture. — Septuagint  completed. — Ptoleiuy  Philopator 
enters  the  Holy  of  Holies ;  persecutes  the  Jews  at  Alexandria,  217. 

Syria — the  Seleucidce,  202-166, — Conquest  of  Pales- 
tine by  Antiochus  the  Great,  202. — Jewish  temple  saved  from 
plunder  by  a  miracle,  176. — Jesus,  or  Jason,  introduces  Greek 
idolatry  amongst  the  Jews,  175. — Menelaus  supplants  Jason  in  the 
high  priesthood,  172. — Antiochus  Epiphanes  profanes  the  temple 
and  plunders  Jerusalem. — Dreadful  persecution  of.  the  Jews. — Ke- 
volt  under  Mattathias,  168. 

II.  History  of  the  Maccabees,  or  Asamonean  Princes,  b.  c.  166-37. 

tTudas  MaccabceiiSf  166, — Character  of  the  war. — Judas 
restores  the  temple ;  feast  of  dedication  instituted,  166. — Neighbor- 
ing nations  league  against  the  Jews ;  death  of  Antiochus  Epiph- 
anes, 164. — Victories  of  Judas  over  the  neighboring  nations; 
Jews  in  Galilee  transplanted  to  Judaea. — Victory  over  Lysias ;  first 
peace  with  Syria. — Judas  carries  on  a  border  war,  and  attempts  to 


OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  289 

reduce  Acra. — Lysias  and  Antiochus  Eupator  invade  Judsea ;  take 
Bethsura,  and  besiege  Jerusalem. — Second  peace  between  Judas 
and  Syria,  163. — Alcimus,  high  priest,  deposed ;  Demetrius  Soter 
sends  an  army  against  Judaea. — Judas  forms  an  alliance  with  Rome ; 
slain  in  battle,  161. 

tfonathan  MaccahceiiSf  161. — Persecution  revives;  Jona- 
than chosen  leader  of  the  people. — Death  of  Alcimus ;  fresh  wars 
between  Bacchides  and  Jonathan,  which  are  concluded  by  a  peace. 
• — Alexander  Balas,  the  impostor,  obtains  Syria;  Jonathan  made 
high  priest,  153. — Demetrius  Nicator  obtains  the  throne  of  Syria ; 
confirms  Jonathan  in  the  high  priesthood. — Jonathan  assists  Anti- 
ochus against  Demetrius. — Allies  with  Rome  and  Lacedaemon ; 
fortifies  Judaea. — Falls  by  the  treachery  of  Tryphon. 

Shnon  Maccabceiis,  14:3, — His  independence  confirmed 
by  Demetrius  Nieator. — Completes  the  fortification  of  Judaea  and 
reduces  and  levels  Acra. — Public  memorial  of  his  acts ;  his  powers 
recognized  by  Rome. — Treacherous  invasion  of  Antiochus  Sidetes. 
— Murder  of  Simon. 

John  HyrcanuSf  136. — Besieges  Ptolemy. — Invasion  of 
Antiochus  Sidetes ;  peace  at  length  concluded  with  Syria. — Accom- 
panies Antiochus  against  Parthia. — Regains  his  independence  and 
raises  the  Asamonean  power  to  its  greatest  height. — Joins  the 
Sadducees;  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  become  political  factions. — 
Dies. 

Aristohulus  J.,  106. — Cruelty  to  his  family;  seizes  the 
high  priesthood  and  assumes  the  diadem. — Conquers  the  Itureans ; 
kills  his  brother  Antlgonus, 

Alexander  tfannceuSf  105. — Petty  wars  with  his  neigh- 
bors.— Civil  dissensions  fomented  by  the  Pharisees. — Conquers 
Moab  and  Gilead,  but  loses  his  army  in  Gaulonitis. — Rebellion  of 
the  Pharisees  for  six  years ;  his  army  destroyed. — Regains  his 
kingdom;  his  cruelty  to  the  rebels. — His  dying  advice  to  his 
queen. 

Queen  Alexandra,  78. — Domination  of  the  Pharisees: 
Hyrcanus  high  priest. — Aristobulus  joins  the  opposite  party. 

Hyrcanus  11. ,  69, — Struggles  between  Hyrcanus  and 
Aristobulus. 

Aristobulus  11.,  69. — Antipater,  father  of  Herod,  espouses 
the  cause  of  Hyrcanus. — Intrigues  with  Aretas,  who  defeats  Aris- 
tobulus.— Roman  interference ;  Pompey  arbitrates  between  Hyrca- 
nus and  Aristobulus. — Pompey  takes  Jerusalem  and  restores  Hyr- 
canus to  the  throne. 

Hyrcanus  II,  restored,  63, — Roman  supremacy;  An- 
tipater at  the  head  of  aflfairs. — Alexander,  son  of  Aristobulus  II., 
invades  Judaea ;  defeated  by  Antipater  and  the  Romans. — Gabinius 
changes  the  government  to  an  aristocracy ;  constitution  of  the  San- 
hedrims.— Defeat  and  death  of  Aristobulus  II.  and  his  son  Alex- 
ander.— Rise  of  the  Herodians;  Herod  defies  the  Sanhedrim. — • 
Julius  Caesar  assassinated,  44 ;  Antipater  poisoned  by  Malichus. — 
Hyrcanus  joins  the  faction  of  Malichus,  but  is  reconciled  by 
25  T 


290  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE        b.  c.  420-330. 

Herod's  espousing  Mariamne. — Faction  of  Malichus  headed  by 
Antigonns,  son  of  Aristobulns  II.,  42-41. — Partliians  place  An- 
tigonus  on  the  throne. — Herod  escapes  to  Eome,  40. 

Aiitigonus,  40. — Herod  obtains  the  kingdom  from  the  Tri- 
umvirate.— Reduces  Antigonus ;  end  of  the  Maccabcean  Dynasty,  37. 

III.  History  of  the  Herodians  to  the  commencement  of  New  Testament 
History. 

Herod  the  Great ^  37-3. — Massacres  his  opponents  and 
propitiates  Antony. — Appoints  Ananel  high  priest. — Aristobulus, 
brother  of  Mariamne,  obtains  the  office,  but  is  drowned. — Herod 
pumraoned  by  Antony. — First  secret  instructions  respecting  Mari- 
amne.— Fall  of  Antony  at  Actium  ;  Herod  conciliates  Augustus, 
and  is  confirmed  on  the  throne. — Second  secret  instructions  respect- 
ing Mariamne;  her  execution. — Herod  introduces  heathen  customs 
and  public  games. — Conspiracy  of  Ten. — Increases  the  fortifica- 
tions, erects  public  works,  and  rebuilds  the  temple. — Famine  in 
Judsea;  Herod's  generosity. — Intrigues  of  Salome  and  Antipater; 
trial  and  execution  of  Alexander  and  Aristobulus,  sons  of  Mari- 
amne.— Conspiracy  and  trial  of  Antipater. — Golden  eagle  pulled 
down  at  Jerusalem. — Herod's  sickness  and  cruelty. — Shuts  up  the 
principal  Jews  in  the  hippodrome;  execution  of  Antipater. — 
Death  of  Herod  ;  his  will. — Character  of  Herod. — Conclusion, 


SUMMARY. 

I.  Jewish  History  from  Nehemiah  to  the  Revolt  under  the 
Maecahees,  b.  c.  420-166. 

1.  Chasm  in  Jewish  History  fro^n  Ne- 
?c!420-330.      hemiah  to  Alexander  the  Greats  420-330. 

— From  the  administration  of  Nehemiah  to 
the  conquests  of  Alexander  there  is  a  chasm  in  the  Jew- 
ish records  which  Josephus  has  neglected  to  fill  up.  The 
Jews  still  continued  subject  to  Persia,  and  paid  a  yearly- 
tribute,  whilst  the  high  priest  conducted  the  internal  gov- 
ernment of  Judiea  under  the  Persian  satrap  of  Syria. 

2.  Joshua  slain  in  the  Temple  by  Jonathan  the 
High  JPriest,  366. — The  murder  of  Joshua  and  build- 
ing of  the  Samaritan  temple  are,  however,  recorded  as 
occurring  within  this  period.  About  b.  c.  366,  Bagoses 
was  satrap,  and  Jonathan  or  Johanan  was  high  priest. 
Joshua,  brother  of  Jonathan,  became  a  favorite  with  Ba- 


336-322.        OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS. 


291 


ffoses,  who  appears  to  liave  invested  him  witli  the  high 
priesthood  to  the  exclusion  of  Jonathan.     Joshua  accord- 
indy  went  to  Jerusalem ;  a  quarrel  ensued  m  the  temple 
between  the  two  brothers,  and  Joshua  was  slam  by  the 
hand  of  Jonathan.     When  the  news  reached  Bagoses,  he 
marched  to  Jerusalem  and  avenged  the  death  of  his  favor- 
ite on  the  whole  nation  by  imposing  a  tribute  ot  litty 
drachmas  (about  £1  12s.)  upon  every  lamb  offered  for 
sacrifice ;  and  this  continued  to  be  exacted  for  seven  years. 
3.  Samaritans    build   the    Temple    at    Gerizim; 
3Ianasses  High  Priest.— 3 addim,  son  of  Jonathan   af- 
terward succeeded  to  the  high  priesthood.     His  brother 
Manasses  married  the  daughter  of  Sanballat,*  governor 
of  Samaria,  but  the  elders  at  Jerusalem  condemned  the 
marriage.     Manasses  would  have  repudiated  his  wue,  but 
Sanballat  persuaded  him  to  accept  the  high  priesthood  of 
Samaria      He  also  promised  that,  in  case  of  his  own  death 
Manasses  should  succeed  him  in  the  governorship,  and 
having  obtained  the  permission  of  Darius,  he  about  this 
time  built  the  Samaritan  temple  on  IMount  Gerizim,  corre- 
sponding to  that  at  Jerusalem.f 

4  Decline  of  the  Persian  Empire,— Meantime,  the 
occurrence  of  frequent  rebellions  in  the  provinces  depend- 
ent on  the  Persian  power,  the  increase  of  luxury  amongst 
the  people,  and  the  power  exercised  by  the  royal  seraglio, 
all  caused  and  indicated  the  gradual  decline  of  the  empire 
>vhich  was  at  length  overturned  by  the  new  power  ot 
Macedonia. 

5.  Alexander's  First  Conquests ;   visits  Alexander 
JTemsalem,  332. -Alexander  the  Gi;eat  sue-  ^^l^^l^^ 
ceeded  his  father  Philip  m  b.  c.  336.    Having 
crossed  the  Hellespont,  he  defeated  a  Persian   army  at 
Granicus.     Darius  advanced  against  him  m  person   but 
was  completely  routed  at  Issus,  and  forced  to  fly.     Alex- 
ander then  subdued  Phoenicia,  and  spent  seven  months  m 
besieging  Tyre,  during  which  Jaddua,  the  high  priest  and 
successor  of  Jonathan,  had  refused  to  break  his  oath  of 

*-  Dean  Prideaux  supposes  that  this  Sanballat  wa^s  the  same  Sa„ 
ballat  the  Horonite  who  opposed  Nehemiah  (sect.  589).      T^is  /ow 
ever,  cannot  be  reconciled  ^ith  the  chronology,  and  it  is  probable  that 
two  different  governors  of  Samaria  may  have  borne  the  same  name. 

■j-  For  the  origin  of  the  Samaritans  see  sect.  507. 


292  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE        b.  c.  323-300, 

fealty  to  Darius  by  supplying  him  with  provisions.  Ac- 
cordingly, Alexander  marched  to  Jerusalem  to  punish 
him  for  his  refusal.  The  terrified  high  priest  was  directed 
in  a  celestial  vision  to  array  himself  and  the  other  priests 
in  their  sacerdotal  dress,  and  to  meet  the  conqueror  at- 
tended by  the  citizens  clothed  in  white  garments.  The 
sacred  procession  so  afiected  Alexander  that  he  adored 
the  name  of  God  written  on  the  high  priest's  tiara  (sect. 
163),  and  saluted  Jaddua  ;  and,  entering  Jerusalem,  he 
offered  sacrifices  to  Jehovah  as  the  priests  directed,  and 
was  shown  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  that  Greece  should 
overcome  Persia  (sect.  630).  He  subsequently  remitted 
the  payment  of  tribute  in  the  sabbatical  year.  The  Sa- 
maritans envied  these  privileges  conferred  on  their  neigh- 
bors, and  endeavored,  but  without  success,  to  obtain  the 
same  for  themselves. 

6.  Conquet^s  Egypt  and  overthroivs  Persia,  332- 
330. — Alexander  next  marched  to  Egypt,  which  gladly 
submitted,  b.  c.  332 ;  and  the  next  year  (b.  c.  331)  he 
founded  Alexandria,  and  proceeded  into  the  desert  to 
sacrifice  in  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Ammon.  The  same 
spring  he  set  out  toward  Syria  to  meet  Darius,  who  had 
collected  another  army.  On  his  way  he  punished  the 
Samaritans  for  burning  the  house  of  Andromachus,  whom 
he  had  appointed  to  be  their  governor,  and  then  marched 
through  Phoenicia  and  Syria,  crossed  the  Euphrates  and 
Tigris,  defeated  Darius  and  his  1,000,000  troops  with  im- 
mense slaughter  on  the  plains  of  Gaugamela,  and  pur- 
sued the  fugitives  to  Arbela,  which  place  has  given  its 
name  to  the  battle,  though  it  was  nearly  fifty  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  spot  where  it  was  fought.  Darius  fled  to 
Ecbatana  in  Media,  whilst  Babylon,  Susa,  and  Persepolis 
surrendered  to  his  conqueror ;  but  the  next  year  (b.  c. 
330)  Alexander  again  marched  against  him,  but  Darius 
fell  by  the  treachery  of  Bessus,  satrap  of  Bactria,  though 
the  burning  of  Persepolis  had  previously  made  known  to 
Asia  that  the  empire  of  Persia  was  destroyed  and  that  the 
East  must  henceforth  acknowledge  a  new  lord  and  master. 
Successors  of  ^-  ^^<^^*  ^/  Alexander,  323  ;  Disputes 
Alexander.  amoufjst  Jus  Generals, — It  is  not  within  our 
B.  c.  323-300.  province  to  pursue  further  the  narration  of 
Alexander's  conquests.     He  died  at  Babylon,  b.  c.  323 ; 


B.C.  300.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  293 

but  after  his  death  Yiolent  disputes  broke  out  amongst 
his  generals,  who  divided  the  empire  amongst  themselves 
For  the  present,  however,  they  only  bore  the  titles  ot 
governors  of  provinces  under  Alexander  ^geus,  the 
Lthumous  son  of  Alexander  the  Great  by  Roxana  whoip 
they  had  declared  king  jointly  with  Aridseus,  an  lUegiti 
mate  son  of  King  Philip. 

8.  rtoletny  Lagus  takes  Jerusalem. -W^r^  soo 
broke  out  between  these  generals,  m  the  course  of  which 
Ptolemy  Lagus  conquered  Judsea.  Josephus  says  that  he 
came  to  Jerusalem  to  sacrifice  in  the  temple,  and  that  he 
took  the  city  without  a  blow  by  entermg  it  on  the  Sabba  h 
He  carried  ofi"  several  Samaritans  and  many  thousand 
Jews  to  Egypt,  but  treated  them  kindly.  For  some  years 
Syria  and  E^ypt  were  perpetually  at  war  with  each  other, 
and  as  Palestine  lay  between  those  countries,  it  was  often 
not  only  the  prize  of  the  contest,  but  the  arena  upon 
which  the  combatants  fought  for  the  victory. 

9  Four  Kinqdoms  estahUshed  by  a  Permanent 
Treaty  500.— The  great  horn  of  the  he-goat,  as  propli- 
e^led  b^^  del,  was  Lken  by  the  death  of  Alex-der 
and  the  generals  of  the  latter,  who  had  carried  on  almo.t 
a  continual  war  since  the  death  of  their  sovereign  were 
in  the  space  of  a  few  years  reduced  to  four  m  number- 
viz.  Cassander,  Lysimachus,  Ptolemy  Lagus,  and  Seleucus 
The  four  horns  of  the  he-goat  and  four  ^^eads  of  the 
leopard  were  therefore  now  to  be  represented  by  the  torn 
kingdoms  established  by  a  permanent  treaty,  by  which 
the  four  generals  were  to  be  kings  of  the  following  prov- 

^^T  Cassander  was  to  have  Macedonia  and  Greece. 
2   Lysimachus,  Thrace,  Bithynia,  and  some  of  the  ad- 

^T¥-^1m^s,  Libya,   Egypt,  Arabia  Petr.a, 
Palestine,  and  Coele-Syria.* 

4.  Seleucus,  all  that  remained,  comprehendingmany 

*  CcEle-Syria,  or  HoUo^c  Syria,  was  the  name  given  f^^er  the  Mace- 
donian conque'st  to  the  great  and  fertile  --"^^  between  the  two  range 
of  Lebanon-Libanus  and  Anti-Libanus-m  the  south  o^  Sjna   bor 
dering  upon  Phoenicia  on  the  west  and  Palestine  on  tl^e  ^o^th.     In  the 
wars  between  the  Ptolemies  and  Seleucida^  the  name  was  applied  to  the 
whole  of  Southern  Syria,  including  Damascus;  and  it  was  this  latter 
territory  that  now  became  subject  to  the  kings  of  Egypt. 
25* 


294  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  300-283. 

provinces  in  Asia  Minor,  Syria,  Mesopotamia,  Babylonia, 
and  the  East  as  far  as  India. 

j,^    ^  10.   Goverfuneiit  under   the  I^tolemies, 

Ptolemy!,,  300-202,  —  According  to  the  foregoing 
B.T360-283.  treaty,  Palestine  was  included  in  the  domin- 
ions of  the  Ptolemies,  under  whom  it  con- 
tinued for  nearly  a  century.  During  this  period  the  rev- 
enues were  farmed  to  the  high  priests,  who  appear  to  have 
continued  to  govern  the  Jews  with  the  same  powers  they 
had  enjoyed  under  the  Persian  satraps  of  Syria. 

11.  Death  of  Simon  the  Just,  292;  Completion 
of  the  Canon  of  Scripture. — Simon  the  Just,  who 
was  the  grandson  of  Jaddua,  had  succeeded  to  the  high 
priesthood  b.  c.  300,  and  is  said  by  the  Jews  to  have  been 
the  last  of  the  Great  Synagogue,  which  consisted  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  persons.  These  had  returned  with 
Ezra  from  the  captivity  in  Babylon,  and  had  been  en- 
gaged in  restoring  the  observance  of  the  Law,  and  in 
collecting  all  the  sacred  books  into  one  body  and  com- 
posing the  canon  of  Scripture.'''  This  "Great  Syna- 
gogue" was  followed  by  a  "New  Synagogue,"  which 
expounded  and  commented  upon  the  completed  canon. 
Simon  the  Just  was  succeeded  in  the  high  priesthood  by 
his  brother  Eleazar,  but  the  founder  and  first  president 
of  the  New  Synagogue  f  was  Antigonus  Socho,X  or  So- 
chseus,  the  first  of  the  Mishnical  teachers  who  studied 
the  traditions. 

Ptolemy  II.,  12.   Scptuagint    completed, — The    Jews 

Phiiade^hus.  now  appear  to  have  lived  in  uninterrupted 
tranquillity.  They  began  to  spread  over  the 
known  world,  and  studied  Greek  literature,  and  compiled 
the  Septuagint  at  Alexandria,  which  was  so  called  because, 
according  to  tradition,  it  was  supposed  to  have  been  made 


•••  Many  stories  are  related  of  Simon  the  Just  in  the  Jerusalem  Tal- 
mud and  elsewhere,  which  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  repeat  here. 

f  The  Synagogue  has  been  sometimes  confused  with  the  council  of 
the  Sanhedrivi,  but  this  latter  assembly  did  not  exist  before  the  time 
of  the  Maccabees. 

X  The  Jews  ascribe  the  origin  of  the  Sadducees  to  the  method  of  in- 
struction pursued  by  Socho,  for  the  latter  having  taught  that  man  ought 
to  serve  God  disinterestedly,  and  not  from  fear  of  punishment  or  hope 
of  reward,  his  two  pupils,  Sadoc  and  Baithus,  inferred  that  there  was 
no  future  state  of  rewards  or  punishments. 


B.C.  247-187.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  295 

in  seventy-two  days  by  seventy  elders,  or  learned  Jews, 
who  had  been  sent  by  Eleazar  the  high  priest  to  Alex- 
andria at  the  request  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  king  of 
Egypt. 

13.  Ptolemy  Philopator  enters  the  Holy 

of  Holies;  persecutes  the  Jews  at  Alexan-  Ei^er^/es.     ' 
clrla,  217* — No  event  of  importance  now  oc-  ptoiemyiv 
curred  in  Jewish  history  until  the  war  broke  Phuopator. 
out    between   Ptolemy   Philopator   and   Anti-  ptoiemy  v. 
ocJuis  the  Great,  during  which  Palestine  suf-  JEpiphaaes.  ' 
fered  greatly  from  the  contending  armies.     At 
length  Philopator  defeated  Antiochus  in  the  battle  of  Ra- 
phia,  after  which  the  Jews  sent  to  renew  their  homage  to 
Ptolemy,  who  then  visited  their  temple  and  offered  sacri- 
fices, and  even  ventured  to  enter  the  Holy  of  Holies  con- 
trary to  the  expostulations  of  the  priests ;  but  he  is  said 
to  have  been  seized  with  supernatural  terror  and  to  have 
rushed  hastily  out.     On  returning  to  Egypt,  however, 
he  visited  his  anger  against  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  upon 
those  of  Alexandria,  and  published  a  decree  forbidding 
any  to  enter   his   presence  who  refused  to  worship  his 
gods.     He  is   subsequently  said  to  have  shut  up  large 
numbers  in  the  hippodrome  or  circus,  for  the  purpose 
of  destroying  them  with  his  elephants ;  but  when  the  ani- 
mals were  made  drunk  with  wine  and  brought  forth,  they 
fell  upon  the  spectators  instead  of  attacking  the  Jews. 

14.  Conquest  of  Palestine  by  AntiocJius 

the  Ch^eat,  202, — Ptolemy  V.,  or  Epiphanes,  Antiochus  the 
had  succeeded  his  father,  Ptolemy  Philopator,  ^33^_^g--  ^-  ^• 
B.  c.  205,  to  the  kingdom  of  Egypt,  at  the 
early  age  of  five  years.  Antiochus  the  Great,  who  had 
ascended  the  throne  of  Syria,  which  included  Asia  Minor, 
Syria,  Mesopotamia,  Babylonia,  etc.,  was  now  in  the  zenith 
of  his  glory,  and  had  carried  his  conquests  to  the  borders 
of  India.  In  b.  c.  203  he  allied  with  Philip  of  Macedou 
to  share  the  territories  of  the  youthful  Ptolemy,  and  then 
seized  Palestine,  Phoenicia,  and  Coele-Syria.  A  war  en- 
sued in  which  the  Jews  suffered  more  from  the  Egyptian 
than  the  Syrian  armies,  and  being  otherwise  alienated 
from  the  Ptolemies,  they  tendered  their  submission  to  An- 
tiochus, supplied  his  army  with  provisions,  and  assisted 
him  in  expelling  the  Egyptian  garrison  from  the  castle 


296  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE        b.  c.  187-176. 

of  Zion.  Antiochus  liberally  rewarded  the  Jews  for  their 
attachment ;  he  gave  an  annual  pension  toward  the  sacri- 
fices, and  decreed  that  no  foreigner  should  enter  the  lim- 
its of  their  temple. 

Seieucus  Phi-  ^^'  ^^^^^^^  Temple  saved  from  Plun- 
lopator.  B.  c.  der  by  a  3Iiracle,  176, — Antiochus  the 
■'^'^*  Great  was  succeeded  on  the  throne  of  Syria 

by  Seieucus  Philopator.  During  the  reign  of  the  latter, 
Simon,  a  Benjamite,  and  governor  of  the  temple,  quar- 
relled with  Onias  the  high  priest,  and  in  revenge  reported 
to  Apollonius,  the  governor  of  Coele-Syria  under  Seieucus, 
the  great  wealth  hoarded  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem. 
Heliodorus,  the  king's  treasurer,  was  accordingly  sent  to 
bring  away  the  riches,  but  on  approaching  the  treasury 
it  is  said  (2  Mace.)  that  a  vision  of  a  man  on  horseback 
struck  him  to  the  ground,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
he  recovered. 

Antiochus  ^^'  *^^^^^^9  <**'   Jason,  introduces  Greek 

Epiphaues.  Idolatry  amongst  the  Jews,  175, — Anti- 
B.  c.  1/6.  ochus,   surnamed    Epiphanes,    ascended    the 

throne  of  Syria  on  the  death  of  his  brother  Seieucus,  and 
by  seeking  to  combine  the  popular  manners  of  a  Roman 
with  the  ostentatious  luxury  of  a  Syrian  he  became  to  his 
subjects  an  object  of  hatred  and  contempt.  As  soon  as 
he  was  settled  in  his  kingdom,  Jason,  the  brother  of  Onias 
the  high  priest,  being  ambitious  of  obtaining  the  pontif- 
ical office  for  himself,  bribed  Antiochus  with  the  large 
sum  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  talents  [£86,400]  to  in- 
vest him  with  the  high  priesthood  and  to  summon  Onias 
to  Antioch.  Jason  warmly  espoused  the  principles  of  An- 
tiochus, and  labored  to  introduce  Greek  institutions  and 
worship  into  Judsea.  He  established  a  Greek  gymnasium 
and  idolatrous  games  at  Jerusalem,  encouraged  apostasy 
from  the  law  of  Moses,  and  did  his  utmost  to  induce  the 
people  to  adopt  heathen  customs. 

17.  Menelaus  supplants  Jason  in  the  High  JPHest- 
hood,  172, — After  three  years  Jason  sent  his  young- 
er brother  Menelaus*  to  carry  tribute  to  Antioch,  when 

*  Jason  had  changed  his  name,  which  was  at  first  Jesus,  in  order  to 
show  his  devotion  to  Greek  superstitions.  Menelaus  had  in  the  same 
manner  changed  his  name,  which  was  originally  the  same  as  that  of 
his  eldest  brother  Onias,  whom  Jason  had  supplanted. 


B.C.  176.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  297 

the  latter,  by  an  increased  bribe  to  Antioclius,  obtain- 
ed the  high  priesthood  for  himself,  and  Jason  m  his 
turn  was  deposed  from  the  office.  Menelaus  was  subse- 
quently unable  to  raise  the  promised  money,  and  was  a1 
last  obliged  to  sell  the  golden  vessels  belongmg  to  th( 
temple.  Onias,  the  real  high  priest,  who  was  impris- 
oned at  Antioch,  heard  of  the  sacrilege,  and  severely 
rebuked  Menelaus;  upon  which  the  latter  persuaded 
Andronicus,  the  governor  of  Antioch,  to  put  Onias  to 

death. 

18.  Antiochus  Epiphanes  profanes   the   lemple, 
and  plunders  Jeriisalein. —Khoxit  this  period  a  war 
broke  out  between  Syria  and  Egypt,  and  Antiochus  in- 
vaded the  latter  country  as  far  as  Alexandria.     Mean- 
time, it  was  reported  that  Antiochus  was  dead,  and  J  ason, 
thinking;  this  a  favorable  moment  to  regain  the  priesthood, 
marched   against  Jerusalem  with   1000  Ammonites  and 
took  the   city,  whilst   Menelaus  secured  himself  m   the 
castle  of  Zion.     When  the  news  reached  Antiochus,  he 
thought  that  the  whole  Jewish  nation  was  m  a  state  ot 
revolt.     He  immediately  marched  to  Jerusalem,  retook 
the  city,  and  in  the  course  of  three  days  slew  40,000  ot 
the  inhabitants  and  sold  as  many  more  as  slaves.     Jason 
fled  to  the  country  of  the  Ammonites,  and  subseqentiy 
died  in  exile  in  Laced^monia,  whilst  Menelaus  was  again 
invested  with  the  high  priesthood.     But  the  Wf  An- 
tiochus could  not  be  satiated  by  slaughter.     Guided  by 
the  impious  apostate  Menelaus,*  he  entered  the  mmost 
courts  of  the  temple,  and  even  the  Holy  of  Ho  les  and 
sacrificed  a  sow  upon  the  altar.     He  then  carried  oli  the 
table  of  shew-bread,  the  golden  candlestick,  the  altar  ol 
incense,  and  all  the  ofierings  which  had  been  made  m  the 
temple,  and  after  plundering  the  city  in  the  same  way  he 
returned  to  Antioch  loaded  with  treasure.  ^ 

19.  Dreadful  Persecution  of  the  efew^s.— Antiochus 
was  subsequently  repulsed  in  Egypt  by  the  Romans,  and 
whilst  returning  to  Syria  he  again  vented  his  anger  upon 


*  The  after  career  of  Menelaus  is  uncertain,  but  he  is  said  to  have 
been  put  to  death  in  the  reign  of  Antiochus  Eupator  by  being  thrown 
into  a  high  tower  filled  with  ashes  at  Beraea,  the  modern  Aleppo.  2  Mace, 
xiii.  4-8. 


298  CONNECTION  BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  176. 

the  Jews,  whose  religion  he  appears  to  have  held  in  espe- 
cial abhorrence,  and  on  whose  account  he  now  issued  a 
decree  commanding  his  whole  empire  to  worship  Greek 
gods.  In  his  way  through  Palestine  from  Egypt  he  de- 
tached 22,000  men  from  his  army,  and  sent  them  under 
Apollonius  to  destroy  Jerusalem.  This  general  entered 
the  place  peaceably,  but  on  the  folloAving  Sabbath  he 
committed  the  most  horrible  massacre  upon  the  people, 
plundered  the  whole  city,  and  then  set  it  on  fire.  Athe- 
neeus,  an  old  man,  was  commissioned  to  instruct  the  Jews  in 
the  Greek  religion  and  compel  them  to  celebrate  its  rites. 
Circumcision,  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath,  and  every  ob- 
servance of  the  Jewish  law  were  punished  by  death ;  copies 
of  the  sacred  books  were  destroyed,  groves  planted,  and 
idolatrous  altars  built  in  every  city ;  and  the  citizens  were 
compelled  to  sacrifice  to  the  Olympian  Jupiter  and  other 
gods,  and  to  eat  swine's  flesh  on  the  king's  birthday  and 
keep  the  feast  of  Bacchus.  Many  Jews  submitted  from 
fear,  and  others  from  attachment  to  Greek  customs,  yet 
others  resisted  all  the  threats  and  tortures  of  this  unpar- 
alleled persecution. 

20.  Hevolt  of  the  Jeivs  under  3IattathiaSf  168, — 
At  length  Mattathias,  a  priest,  publicly  set  Antiochus  at 
defiance.  He  refused  to  sacrifice  at  the  idolatrous  altar, 
and  struck  down  a  Jew  who  approached  it  as  a  rebel  to 
Jehovah,  and  then,  with  the  assistance  of  his  sons  and 
others,  he  slew  the  royal  ofiicers,  broke  down  the  altar, 
and  fled  to  the  wilderness  of  Judsea.*  Here  his  party 
rapidly  increased,  and  he  soon  emerged  from  his  con- 
cealment, demolished  the  idolatrous  altars  throughout 
the  country,  circumcised  the  children,  and  slew  the 
apostates ;  but  died  in  the  midst  of  his  expedition,  B.  c. 
166,  and  appointed  his  third  son,  Judas,  surnamed  Mac- 
cabseus,  or  the  Hammerer,  to  be  military  leader,  and 
his  second  son,  Simon  Thassi,  to  be  counsellor  to  his 
brother. 


*  It  is  related  that  about  this  time  a  body  of  1000  Jews,  being  pur- 
sued by  the  army  of  Antiochus  on  the  Sabbath  day,  patiently  submitted 
to  being  cut  to  pieces  rather  than  violate  the  sacred  rest.  Upon  this 
Mattathias  and  his  friends  made  it  lawful  to  resist  the  attack  of  an 
enemy  on  the  Sabbath. 


B.  c.  166-161.        OLD   AND   iVEW   TESTAMENTS.  299 


II.  History  of  the  Maccabees,  or  Asamonean  Princes,  b.  c. 
166-37. 

21.  Character  of  the  War,— J\\Q  prima-  j^.^asMacca- 
ry  object  of  the  Jewish  insurrection  was  not  bseus.  b.  c. 
political  independence,  but  religious  freedom  ;  '^^'°-^^^- 
and  during  the  leaderships  of  Judas  and  his  brother  Jon- 
athan the  nation  continued  to  pay  tribute  to  the  kings  of 
Syria ;  but  in  b.  c.  143,  Demetrius  Nicator,  the  reigning 
monarch,  acknowledged  Simon  as  high  priest  and  prince 
of  the  Jews,  and  relinquished  all  claims  for  tribute,  cus- 
toms, or  taxes.* 

22.  Judas  restores  the  Temple:  Feast  of  Dedica- 
tion histituted,  166. — Judas  soon  followed  in  the  steps 
of  his  father  Mattathias.  In  the  first  two  years  of  his 
reign  he  defeated  the  generals  of  Antiochus  four  times, 
and  having  thus  deterred  the  king  from  an  immediate  re- 
newal of  the  contest,  he  led  his  victorious  army  to  Jeru- 
salem for  the  purpose  of  cleansing  and  dedicating  the 
sanctuary.  This  must  have  been  a  task  of  considerable 
difficulty,  as  the  temple  was  commanded  by  the  fortress 
on  Mount  Acra,  called  in  the  Hebrew  3Iillo  (see  note  to 
sect.  326),  which  was  still  garrisoned  by  the  forces  of  the 
heathen.  Judas,  however,  built  up  a  new  altar,  furnished 
the  temple  with  fresh  vessels,  set  up  the  candlestick,  table 
of  shew-bread,  and  altar  of  incense,  and  hung  up  the  veils 
before  the  Holy  of  Holies.  Having  thus  repaired  and 
purified  the  temple  just  three  and  a  half  years  after  it  had 
been  polluted  by  Antiochus,  sacrifices  were  recommenced, 
and  a  festival  celebrated  for  eight  days,  which  was  after- 
ward commemorated  by  the  annual  feast  of  dedica- 
tion. (See  sect.  193.)  Thus  was  fulfilled  the  prophecy 
of  Daniel  (xii.  7),  that  three  years  and  a  half — or,  in  the 
language  of  prophecy,  "  a  time,  times,  and  half  a  time  " — 
should  be  the  period  of  its  desolation.     But  Mount  Mo- 

*  In  the  establishment  of  the  Asamonean  power  under  Judas,  Jona- 
than, and  Simon  we  see  the  reward  of  valor  exerted  in  defence  of  re- 
ligion and  law,  and  the  happy  effects  of  family  concord;  whilst  from 
the  dissensions  which  prevailed  amongst  their  descendants,  and  paved 
the  way  for  the  aggrandizement  of  the  Ilerods,  princes  may  learn  the 
useful  lesson  that  family  feuds  are  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  rebellion 
of  subjects;  the  one  may  for  a  time  deprive  the  prince  of  power,  the 
other  wrest  the  sceptre  from  the  family  for  ever. — Hales. 


300  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE 


c.  161. 


riah,  on  which  the  temple  was  built,  was  rather  lower  than 
Acra,  and  the  people  were  much  annoyed  on  their  way  to 
the  temple  by  the  heathen  garrison.  Judas  therefore  pro- 
tected the  Lord's  house  with  walls  and  towers,  and  posted 
a  detachment  of  troops  to  guard  it.  In  subsequent  reigns 
Acra  was  loAvered  and  the  valley  between  the  two  hills 
was  filled  up,  so  that  the  buildings  of  the  temple  overhung 
the  fortifications  on  Acra. 

23.  The  Neighhoring  Nations  league  against  tiie 
Jews;  Death  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  164. — After 
this  Judas  fortified  Bethsura,  a  town  between  Hebron  and 
Jerusalem,  as  a  barrier  against  the  Idumseans  or  Edom- 
ites.  Meantime,  the  neighboring  nations  formed  a  league 
for  utterly  extirpating  the  Jewish  nation,  which  was,  how- 
ever, defeated  by  the  death  of  Antiochus  and  energy  of 
Judas.  Antiochus  was  proceeding  to  Babylon  when  he 
heard  of  the  defeat  of  his  generals,  rededication  of  the 
temple,  and  destruction  of  the  idolatrous  altars.  He  im- 
mediately returned  to  Judaea,  vowing  vengeance  against 
the  whole  Jewish  nation ;  but  on  his  way  was  seized  with 
a  fatal  disease,  and  died  in  the  most  dreadful  agonies  of 
body  and  soul. 

24.  Victories  of  Judas  over  the  Neighboring  Na- 
tions;  Jews  in  Galilee  transplanted  to  Judcea. — 
Judas  now  heard  of  the  confederacy  formed  against  him 
and  prepared  to  take  the  field.  He  first  fell  upon  the 
Edomites  on  his  southern  borders,  defeated  them  in  battle, 
besieged  and  took  their  fortresses,  and  put  their  garrisons 
to  the  sword.  He  then  entered  the  country  east  of  the 
Jordan,  and  defeated  Timotheus,  the  Syrian  governor, 
who  marched  against  him.  The  Phoenicians  on  the  north- 
west and  the  inhabitants  of  Gilead  on  the  east  immediately 
commenced  an  active  war.  Judas  now  separated  his  army 
into  three  divisions :  with  the  first  he  marched  to  the  re- 
lief of  the  Jews  resident  in  Gilead ;  the  second  he  des- 
patched under  his  brother  Simon  to  defend  Galilee ;  whilst 
the  third  remained  at  home  for  the  protection  of  Judsea 
and  Jerusalem.  A  marked  success  attended  this  judicious 
proceeding.  Judas  with  his  division  quickly  overran  Gil- 
ead, took  the  towns,  and  returned  laden  with  spoil.  Simon 
defeated  the  enemy  in  Galilee,  but  finding  the  Jews  there 
too  few  to  defend  themselves,  he  wisely  induced  them  to 


B.  c.  161.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS..  301 

remove  to  Judsea,  where  they  would  strengthen  the  popu- 
lation, which  had  been  weakened  by  the  persecutions  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes.  The  generals  of  the  division  who 
remained  at  home,  wishing  to  share  the  glory  of  the  two 
brothers,  led  their  forces  against  Jamnia,  a  seaport  on  the 
Mediterranean,  but  were  defeated  by  Gorgias,  the  governor 
of  that  district,  with  the  loss  of  2000  men,  which  misfor- 
tune, however,  did  not  detract  from  the  rising  fame  of  the 
Maccabees. 

25.  Victory  over  Lysias ;  First  Peace  ivith  Syria, 
— Antiochus  Eupator  had  now  succeeded  his  father  An- 
tiochus Epiphanes,  on  the  throne  of  Syria;  and  Lysias, 
the  guardian  and  kinsman  of  Eupator,  determined  to 
avenge  the  insult  which  the  Maccabees  had  inflicted  on 
the  Syrian  empire.  Accordingly,  Lysias  invaded  Judsea 
with  an  army  of  80,000  men,  including  a  large  body  of 
cavalry  and  eighty  elephants,  and  commenced  the  siege 
of  Bethsura  (sect.  23).  Judas  marched  to  the  attack, 
and  succeeded  not  only  in  relieving  the  garrison,  but  in 
dispersing  the  invading  forces.  Lysias  then  made  a  peace 
with  Judas,  which  was  ratified  by  Antiochus ;  and  on  this 
occasion  the  Jewish  nation  was  benefited  by  the  friendly 
interference  of  the  Roman  ambassadors  at  the  Syrian 
court. 

26.  Judas  carries  on  a  Border  War,  and  attempts 
to  reduce  Acra. — When  Lysias  had  retired  to  Antioch, 
Judas  again  invaded  Gilead  and  overthrew  Timotheus, 
and  then  marched  against  Gorgias  and  the  Idumseans, 
and  by  a  hardly-earned  victory  avenged  the  death  of 
those  who  had  fallen  in  the  expedition  against  Jamnia 
(sect.  24).  He  afterward  tried  to  reduce  the  fort  of  Acra, 
from  which  the  Syrian  garrison  was  perpetually  sallying 
out  and  disturbing  the  peace  of  the  city  and  service  of 
the  temple.  Some  apostate  Jews,  however,  escaped  from 
the  fort  to  Antioch,  and  informed  the  Syrian  king  of  the 
threatened  danger. 

27.  Lysias  and  Antiochus  Eupator  invade  Judma  ; 
taJce  Bethsura  and  besiege  Jerusalem, — Antiochus  Eu- 
pator and  his  guardian  Lysias  were  now  afraid  lest  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  should  be  entirely  lost,  and  accordingly 
they  invaded  Judsea  with  a  vast  army  of  120,000  men, 
thirty-two  elephants,  three  hundred  chariots,  and  again 

26 


302  CONNECTION  BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  161. 

commenced  tlie  siege  of  Betlisura.  Judas  immediately 
raised  the  siege  of  Acra,  and  marched  to  the  relief  of  the 
fortress;  but  after  some  slight  successes,  in  which  his 
brother  Eleazar  fell,  he  found  himself  unable  to  cope 
with  the  overwhelming  forces  of  the  enemy,  and  retreated 
to  Jerusalem.  The  garrison  at  Bethsura  was  at  length 
compelled  to  surrender,  and  the  Syrian  army  then  marched 
to  besiege  Jerusalem. 

28.  Second  Peace  hetiveen  Judas  and  Syrian  163. 
— The  city  was  almost  reduced,  when  the  news  reached 
Lysias  that  Philip,  the  rival  guardian  of  Antiochus  Eu- 
pator,  had  raised  an  army  and  seized  Antioch,  and  taken 
upon  himself  the  government  of  the  empire.  Accord- 
ingly, he  found  it  necessary  to  conclude  a  peace  with  the 
Jews,  by  which  Judas  was  appointed  governor  of  Judsea 
under  the  king  of  Syria. 

29.  Alcimus,  High  Pi^iest,  deposed;  Demetrius 
Soter  sends  an  Army  against  tTudwa, — Menelaus,  the 
high  priest,  was  now  dead  (sect.  17,  note),  and  Antiochus 
appointed  Alcimus,  or  Jacimus,  to  be  his  successor,  to  the 
exclusion  of  Onias,  son  of  that  Onias  who  had  been  mur- 
dered at  Antioch  (sect.  17).  Onias  fled  to  Egypt,  and 
obtained  permission  from  Ptolemy  Philometor  to  build  a 
temple  at  Heliopolis.  Thus,  three  temples  existed — viz. 
the  Samaritan  at  Gerizim,  that  of  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem, 
and  that  of  Onias.  Alcimus,  however,  from  his  profligacy 
and  idolatry,  was  not  long  permitted  by  the  people  to 
exercise  his  office;  and  by  his  subsequent  intrigues  he 
persuaded  Demetrius  Soter,  who  had  now  succeeded  An- 
tiochus Eupator  to  the  throne  of  Syria,  to  send  a  large 
invading  force  against  Judaea  under  Nicanor,  which  was, 
however,  signally  defeated  by  Judas  and  his  followers, 
and  in  the  second  action  Nicanor  was  slain. 

30.  Judas  forms  an  Alliance  with  Hofne ;  slain 
in  Battle,  161, — Judas  now  saw  that  no  dependence 
could  be  placed  upon  the  kings  of  Syria,  and  accordingly 
sent  ambassadors  to  Rome  to  endeavor  to  form  an  alliance. 
The  Romans  decided  to  receive  the  Jews  amongst  their 
friends  and  allies,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Demetrius  requir- 
ing him  to  desist  from  harassing  that  nation,  but  before 
the  letter  could  be  delivered  Judas  was  dead.  On  the 
death  of  Nicanor,  Demetrius  had  sent  Bacchides  with  Al- 


B.  c.  161-143.        OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  303 

ciinus  a  second  time  into  Judaea  at  the  head  of  a  large 
army,  to  which  Judas  could  only  oppose  a  force  of  3000 
men,  all  of  whom,  with  the  exception  of  eight  hundred, 
fled  at  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  But  the  intrepid 
leader  scorned  to  fly,  and  with  this  handful  of  men  he 
boldly  engaged  the  whole  army  of  Bacchides.  By  the 
impetuosity  of  his  charge  he  routed  the  right  wing  of  the 
enemy,  but  the  left  wing  remained  entire,  and  Judas,  being 
overpowered  by  numbers,  fell  on  the  field  of  battle ;  and 
all  Israel  mourned  many  days,  saying,  "  How  is  the  valiant 
man  fallen  that  delivered  Israel  ?" 

31.  Persecution  revives;  Jonathan  jo„athan 
chosen  Leader  of  the  People,  161, — After  Maccabseus. 
the  death  of  Judas  Maccabseus,  Alcimus  and  ^-  ^-  ^^-^-i^^- 
his  apostate  party  returned  to  power,  and  openly  perse- 
cuted the  followers  of  Judas;  and  all  the  Maccab?eans 
that  could  be  found  were  brought  before  the  general  Bac- 
chides and  cruelly  tortured  and  put  to  death.  Under 
these  circumstances  the  people  cliose  Jonathan,  brother 
of  Judas,  for  their  leader,  and  committed  themselves  to 
his  guidance.  At  first  Jonathan  and  his  brother  Simon 
retired  to  a  strong  position  on  the  banks  of  the  Jordan, 
from  whence  they  avenged  the  death  of  their  brother 
John,  who  had  been  slain  by  some  Arabs  of  the  tribe  of 
Jambria.  Their  position  was,  however,  soon  knoT\Ti  to 
Bacchides,  who  accordingly  assaulted  their  camp  on  the 
Sabbath  day.  But  Jonathan  exhorted  his  troops  to  re- 
member the  decision  of  Mattathias  (sect.  20,  note),  and  his 
forces  courageously  resisted  the  attack  and  slew  1000  of 
the  enemy,  and  on  finding  their  numbers  unequal  to  a 
further  contest,  they  sprang  into  the  Jordan  and  escaped 
by  swimming  to  the  other  side.  Bacchides  then  fortified 
Judsea,  especially  Acra,  and  took  the  children  of  the  in- 
habitants as  hostages  for  the  fidelity  of  their  parents. 

32.  Death  of  Alcimus ;  Fresh  Wars  between  Bac- 
chides and  Jonathan,  tvhich  are  concluded  by  a 
Peace, — Alcimus,  the  high  priest,  was  at  length  struck 
with  palsy  and  died ;  after  which  Bacchides  returned  to 
Antioch,  and  the  Jews  for  two  years  dwelt  in  peace  un- 
der the  government  of  Jonathan.  At  the  expiration  of 
this  time,  Bacchides  was  informed  by  the  opposition  that 
all  the  Maccabsean  party  might  be  seized  in  a  single  night. 


304  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE        b.  c.  161-143. 

and  he  accordingly  came  to  Judaea  to  execute  the  plan. 
But  Jonathan  discovered  the  plot,  and  put  fifty  of  the 
conspirators  to  death ;  but,  being  unable  to  cope  with 
Bacchides,  he  retired  and  fortified  a  place  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  successfully  withstood  a  siege.  Bacchides,  en- 
raged at  the  defeat,  slew  the  advisers  who  had  brought 
him  back  to  Judaea,  concluded  a  peace  with  Jonathan, 
exchanged  prisoners,  and  swore  never  more  to  molest  the 
land ;  and  Jonathan  settled  in  peace  at  Michmash,  about 
nine  miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  where  he  administered  the 
laws  with  impartiality  and  pursued  his  schemes  of  refor- 
mation. 

33.  Alexander  Balas,  the  Impostor ^  obtains  Syria; 
tTonathan  made  Sigh  Priest ,  153. — In  this  year  the 
famous  impostor,  Alexander  Balas,  pretended  to  be  a  son 
of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  and  claimed  the  empire  of  Syria ; 
and  being  supported  by  the  Komans,  he  sailed  to  Ptole- 
mais  in  Phoenicia,  seized  the  city,  and  proclaimed  him- 
self king  of  Syria.  The  disputes  between  this  pretender 
and  Demetrius  Soter,  the  reigning  monarch,  proved  of 
infinite  advantage  to  Jonathan,  as  each  party  vied  with 
the  other  in  ofiers  to  secure  his  co-operation.  Demetrius 
appointed  him  the  king's  general  in  Judaea,  and  offered 
him  numerous  immunities  and  privileges ;  but  Alexander 
Balas  granted  him  the  high  priesthood,  and  sent  him  a 
purple  robe  and  crown  of  gold ;  and  Jonathan  preferred 
an  alliance  with  the  latter  to  accepting  the  proposals  of 
the  insincere  Demetrius. 

34.  Demetrius  Nicator  obtains  the  Throne;  con- 
firms Jonathan  in  the  Sigh  Priesthood, — The  Syr- 
ians soon  grew  disaffected  toward  Alexander  Balas,  and 
Demetrius  Nicator,  son  of  Demetrius  Soter,  whom  Alex- 
ander Balas  had  deposed,  now  asserted  his  claim  to  the 
empire,  and,  being  assisted  by  Egypt,  he  defeated  Alex- 
ander and  obtained  the  throne.  Jonathan  was  still  in 
quiet  possession  of  Judaea,  and,  being  determined  to  ex- 
pel the  garrison  from  Acra,  he  commenced  a  regular 
siege.  Demetrius,  hearing  this,  summoned  Jonathan  to 
Ptolemais,  but  the  latter  gave  orders  to  press  the  siege 
during  his  absence,  and  then  carried  such  valuable  pres- 
ents as  he  thought  would  influence  the  king  and.  his  licen- 
tious court.     Demetrius,  in  return,  confirmed  Jonathan  in 


B.  c.  161-143.        OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  305 

the  high  priesthood,  ratified  the  offers  of  immunity  from 
tribute,  etc.  which  his  father  had  made,  and  promised  to 
withdraw  the  garrison  from  Acra  if  Jonathan  would  as- 
sist him  in  putting  down  a  revolt  at  Antioch,  which  was 
then  in  a  state  of  tumult.  Jonathan  desjDatched  3000 
men  to  the  aid  of  the  king,  who  was,  however,  no  sooner 
relieved  than  he  forgot  his  promises  and  refused  to  ex- 
empt the  Jews  from  tribute. 

35.  Jonathan  assists  Antiochus  against  Deniet^ 
rius, — This  ingratitude  of  Demetrius  was  quickly  puji- 
ished.  A  new  claimant  now  appeared  for  the  kingdom 
of  Syria.  Tryphon,  who  had  been  governor  of  Antioch 
under  Alexander  Balas,  brought  forward  Antiochus,  son 
of  his  old  master,  and  defeated  Demetrius  and  placed 
the  young  prince  on  the  throne.  He  then  sent  an  em- 
bassy to  Jonathan,  soliciting  assistance  and  promising 
to  fulfil  the  engagements  which  Demetrius  had  broken. 
Jonathan  readily  accepted  the  proposal,  defeated  De- 
metrius, who  invaded  Galilee,  and  reduced  Joppa,  Gaza, 
and  Bethsura. 

36.  Allies  with  Rome  and  Laceclcenion ;  fortifies 
Jiidcea. — On  returning  to  Judsea,  Jonathan  renewed  the 
treaty  which  Judas  had  made  with  the  Eomans,  and 
formed  an  alliance  with  the  Lacedaemonians.  He  also 
held  a  council  at  Jerusalem  to  take  into  consideration 
the  fortification  of  Judsea ;  and  at  this  assembly  it  was 
agreed  that  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  should  be  heightened 
and  a  line  of  circumvallation  should  be  drawn  round 
the  fort  of  Acra  under  the  superintendence  of  Jonathan, 
whilst  Simon  should  have  the  oversight  of  the  fortifica- 
tions throughout  the  country. 

37.  Falls  by  the  Treachery  of  Tryphon, — Mean- 
time, it  appeared  that  Tryphon  had  elevated  Antiochus, 
the  son  of  Alexander  Balas,  to  the  throne,  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  murdering  him  and  usurping  the  croAvn  himself, 
but  whilst  Jonathan  remained  to  oppose  the  plot  he  de- 
spaired of  success.  Accordingly,  he  marched  his  army 
against  Judsea,  but  being  met  by  Jonathan  with  40,000 
men,  he  put  on  the  mask  of  friendship,  and  pretended 
that  he  had  only  come  to  consult  about  their  common 
interests  and  to  put  the  city  of  Ptolemais  in  Phoenicia 
into  his  hands.     Jonathan  was  thus  persuaded  to  dismiss 

26  *  U 


306  CONNECTION  BETWEEN   THE        b.  c.  14H-136. 

his  army  aud  proceed  with  Tryphon  to  Ptolemais  with 
only  1000  troops,  but  on  entering  the  city  he  was  taken 
prisoner  and  his  men  were  slain.  Tryphon  then  invaded 
Judaea,  carrying  Jonathan  as  a  captive ;  and  being  met 
by  Simon  at  the  head  of  a  large  army,  he  declared  that 
he  only  detained  Jonathan  for  a  debt  of  one  hundred 
talents  [about  £24,000],  and  that  if  the  debt  was  paid, 
and  his  two  sons  given  up  as  hostages,  he  should  be  re- 
leased. Simon  complied,  but  Tryphon  failed  to  fulfil 
his  promise,  and,  being  encouraged  by  messages  from 
the  garrison  at  Acra,  he  attempted  to  invade  Judaea. 
Simon,  however,  baffled  his  efforts,  and  Tryphon  at  last 
retired  to  the  district  east  of  the  Jordan  surrounding 
Mount  Gilead,  called  Galaaditis,  and  put  Jonathan  to 
death  at  Bascama. 

Simon  Mac-  ^^'  ^'*    Independence    confirmed    by 

cabseus.  B.C.  Denictrius, — Simon,  brother  of  Jonathan 
and  Judas,  succeeded  to  the  high  priesthood 
and  government  on  the  death  of  the  former.  Meantime, 
Tryphon  murdered  Antiochus  and  proclaimed  himself 
king  of  Syria,  and  Demetrius  Nicator,  who  now  wanted 
the  assistance  of  the  Jews  in  deposing  the  tyrant,  con- 
firmed the  authority  of  Simon  as  high  priest  and  prince, 
and  relinquished  all  claims  for  tribute,  customs,  and 
taxes.  From  this  grant  the  Jews  calculate  the  deliver- 
ance of  their  country  from  a  foreign  power,  and  they 
dated  all  their  instruments  and  contracts  by  the  years 
of  Simon  and  his  successors. 

39.  Completes  the  Fortification  of  Judcea,  and  re- 
duces and  levels  Acra, — Simon's  first  measure  was  to 
complete  the  fortifications  which  were  erecting  through- 
out Judaea  and  to  reduce  some  of  the  enemy's  fortresses 
which  still  held  out.  The  garrison  at  Acra  now  began 
to  feel  the  effects  of  the  circumvallation,  and,  their  provis- 
ions being  exhausted,  they  at  last  surrendered,  and  were 
permitted  to  leave  unmolested.  From  the  beginning  of 
the  revolt  this  garrison  had  occasioned  infinite  annoy- 
ance and  trouble  to  Jerusalem.  Simon  therefore  not 
only  destroyed  the  fort,  but  employed  three  years  in  re- 
ducing the  hill  on  which  it  stood  to  a  level  with  Mount 
Moriah.  He  also  fortified  the  latter,  and  built  his  palace 
within  the  wall,  probably  on  the  site  where  the  castle 


B.  c.  136-106.        OLD    AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  307 

Antonia  was    afterward   erected,  and  he  made  his   son, 
John  Hyrcanus,  generalissimo  of  all  his  forces. 

40.  JPuhlic  MemoHal  of  his  Acts;  MsPoivers  rec- 
ognized hy  Home, — The  state  was  now  in  a  flourishing 
condition,  and  the  people  made  a  public  acknowledgment 
of  their  allegiance  to  the  Maccabees.  The  valiant  deeds 
of  Simon  and  his  predecessors  were  engraved  on  tables 
of  brass,  and  these  were  set  up  in  a  conspicuous  part  of 
the  temple.  About  the  same  time  Simon  sent  an  em- 
bassy to  the  Komans,  bearing  a  golden  shield  weighing 
1000  mime,  and  worth  at  least  £50,000,  as  a  present  to 
the  senate,  who  thereupon  renewed  the  league  and 
recognized  his  powers  as  high  priest  and  prince  of 
Judsea. 

41.  Treacherous  Invasion  of  Antiochiis  Sidetes. — 
Meantime,  Demetrius  Nicator  had  retired  from  before 
Tryphon  to  Babylon,  and  was  subsequently  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Parthians,  whilst  his  younger  brother,  Antiochus 
Sidetes,  married  Cleopatra,  wife  of  Demetrius,  and  at- 
tempted to  dispossess  Tryphon.  Antiochus  was  desirous 
of  obtaining  the  assistance  of  Simon,  and  accordingly 
confirmed  him  in  his  authority  and  granted  him  the  priv- 
ilege of  coining  money  as  an  independent  prince.  When, 
however,  he  had  deposed  Tryphon  and  ascended  the  throne 
of  Syria,  he  laid  claim  to  the  citadels  of  Jerusalem,  Jop- 
pa,  and  Gazara  (probably  Gadara),  demanded  five  hun- 
dred talents  for  tribute  and  damages,  and  invaded  Judsea. 
But  John  Hyrcanus  and  his  brother  Judas,  the  two  sons 
of  Simon,  defeated  the  general  of  Antiochus  and  obliged 
him  to  retreat  from  the  country. 

42.  Murder  of  Simon. — Antiochus  Sidetes  at  length 
obtained  the  death  of  Simon.  Ptolemy,  one  of  his  ofii- 
cers  and  governor  of  Jericho,  had  married  the  daughter 
of  Simon,  and  having  concerted  measures  with  Antiochus 
for  usurping  the  government  of  Judsea,  he  invited  Simon 
and  his  sons  Judas  and  Matthias  to  his  castle  near  Jeri- 
cho, and  then  treacherously  murdered  them.  Messengers 
were  also  sent  to  despatch  John  Hyrcanus,  but  he  fortu- 
nately escaped  to  Jerusalem  and  secured  the  city  before 
Ptolemy  could  seize  it. 

43.  Besieges    JPtoletny. — Hyrcanus    was  JoimHyrca- 
now   chosen   by   the   people   to    succeed   his   isr^iol."^" 


308  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  136-106. 

father,  Simon,  in  the  high  priesthood  and  principality. 
He  first  marched  against  Ptolemy,  and  besieged  him 
in  a  castle  near  Jericho;  but  the  latter  still  held  the 
mother  and  surviving  brethren  of  Hyrcanus  in  his 
clutches,  and,  bringing  them  to  the  walls,  threatened  to 
throw  them  down  headlong  if  the  siege  was  continued. 
Hyrcanus  accordingly  gradually  relaxed,  and  then  raised, 
the  siege;  though,  according  to  Josephus,  his  mother 
loudly  exhorted  her  son  from  the  walls  to  disregard  her 
sufferings  and  pursue  his  revenge.  Ptolemy  then  slew 
the  mother  and  brethren  of  Hyrcanus,  and  fled  to  Phila- 
delphia in  Asia  Minor. 

44.  Invasion  of  A  ntioclius  Sldetes  ;  Peace  at  lenuftli 
concluded  with  Syria, — The  following  year  Antiochus 
Sidetes  invaded  Judsea  and  besieged  Hyrcanus  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  as  it  was  a  sabbatical  year  there  was  soon  such 
a  scarcity  of  provisions  that  the  besieged  were  reduced  to 
the  greatest  distress.  On  the  approach  of  the  feast  of 
tabernacles  Hyrcanus  requested  a  truce  for  the  purpose 
of  keeping  it,  which  Antiochus  most  graciously  granted, 
and  even  sent  animals  for  the  sacrifice.  This  conduct  led 
to  proposals  for  a  peace,  which  was  at  length  concluded, 
Hyrcanus  engaging  to  dismantle  Jerusalem  and  pay  trib- 
ute for  the  towns  possessed  by  the  Jews  out  of  Judsea. 
Antiochus  also  required  the  fort  of  Acra  to  be  rebuilt, 
but  Hyrcanus  chose  rather  to  pay  five  hundred  talents 
[£120,000] ;  and  hostages  being  delivered  for  the  fulfil- 
ment of  these  terms,  the  siege  was  raised. 

45.  Accompanies  Antiochus  against  Farthia ; 
regains  his  Independence,  and  raises  the  Asamo- 
nean  Power. — Four  years  after  this  Antiochus  invaded 
Parthia  to  recover  his  brother  Demetrius,  and  was  accom- 
panied by  Hyrcanus,  who  greatly  distinguished  himself  in 
the  war.  Here  Antiochus  was  slain,  and  Demetrius  ISTica- 
tor,  being  at  length  enabled  to  return  to  Syria,  regained 
the  kingdom.  Hyrcanus  seized  the  opportunity  of  these 
disturbances  to  deliver  himself  from  Syria  and  complete- 
ly establish  the  independence  of  Judsea,  and  neither  him- 
self nor  his  successors  were  ever  afterward  tributary  to 
the  Syrian  kings.  He  seized  several  of  the  bordering 
cities  in  Syria,  Phoenicia,  and  Arabia;  subdued  the  Idu- 
mseans,  and  obliged  them  to  embrace  the  Jewish  religion ; 


B.  c.  136-106.        OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  309 

subjugated  Samaria,  and  destroyed  the  temple  of  Sanbal- 
lat  on  Mount  Gerizim ;  and  obtained  from  the  Komans 
an  acknowledgment  that  the  treaty  which  he  had  been 
forced  to  make  with  Antiochus  Sidetes  was  null  and  void, 
being  a  violation  of  the  freedom  guaranteed  by  the  sen- 
ate to  the  Jewish  nation.  Hyrcanus  was  thus  master  of 
all  Judsea,  Galilee,  and  Samaria,  and  having  raised  the 
glory  of  the  Asamonean  princes  to  its  greatest  height,  he 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  reign  respected  by  the  neigh- 
boring states  and  free  from  foreign  war. 

46.  Hyrcanus  joins  the  Saclclucees ;  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  become  Political  Factions. — During 
the  foregoing  period  two  parties  had  arisen  among  the 
Jews — the  Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees.  (See  sects. 
94-100.) 

The  Pharisees  rigidly  adhered  to  the  very  letter  of  the 
old  law,  and  explained  the  Scriptures  themselves  by  the 
light  of  tradition.  The  Sadducees,  by  an  epicurean  phil- 
osophy and  a  latitudinarian  system  of  morals,  had  fallen 
into  the  opposite  extreme,  and  affixed  a  mere  human  in- 
terpretation to  Scripture,  and  even  questioned  the  doc- 
trine of  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  The  Pharisees,  be- 
ing the  more  orthodox  sect,  were  supported  by  the  many ; 
the  Sadducees,  from  the  laxity  of  their  principles,  were 
favored  by  the  wealthy  few.  Hyrcanus  was  originally  a 
Pharisee,  but,  according  to  Josephus,  one  of  that  party 
once  told  him  that  he  ought  to  resign  the  high  priesthood 
and  content  himself  with  the  civil  government,  because, 
as  his  mother  had  been  a  captive,  it  was  uncertain  whether 
he  was  a  descendant  of  Aaron  or  of  a  stranger.  Hyrca- 
nus was  incensed  at  this  insult,  and  probably  perceiving 
symptoms  of  disaffection  amongst  the  whole  Pharisaic 
party,  and  a  desire  to  separate  the  offices  of  high  priest 
and  king,  which  he  united  in  his  own  person,  he  left  their 
sect  and  went  over  to  the  Sadducees.  The  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees,  from  being  mere  religious  sects,  now  became 
political  factions.  Domestic  broils  arose,  which  estranged 
the  affections  of  a  large  party  of  Jews  from  Hyrcanus 
and  his  family ;  and  the  factious  opposition  of  the  Phari- 
sees, first  to  their  own  princes  and  afterward  to  the  Ro- 
mans, ultimately  led  to  the  declension  of  the  Asamonean 
power,  and  finally  to  the  downfall  of  the  Jewish  nation. 


310  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  106-78. 


47.  Cruelty  to  Ms  Fmnily ;  seizes  the 
B ^?*io"^"^  ^'  H^O^^  Priesthood  and  assumes  the  Dia- 
dem,— The  events  of  the  succeeding  reign 
are  a  series  of  domestic  tragedies,  which  may  be  ascribed 
with  probability  to  the  intrigues  of  party  and  the  turbu- 
lent ambition  of  the  Pharisees.  Hyrcanus  had  left  the 
civil  government  to  his  wife,  but  his  eldest  son,  Aristob- 
ulus,  seized  the  government  and  put  his  mother  in  prison, 
where  she  perished  of  hunger.  Having  thus  obtained 
the  high  priesthood  and  principality,  he  put  the  royal 
diadem  on  his  head  and  assumed  the  title  of  king,  being 
the  first  Jewish  prince  who  had  done  so  since  the  Bab- 
ylonian captivity. 

48.  Conquers  the  Itureans  ;  hills  his  brother,  An- 
tigomis, — Aristobulus  then  admitted  his  brother  Antig- 
onus  to  a  share  in  the  kingdom,  but  imprisoned  his  then 
remaining  brethren.  He  subdued  Iturea  east  of  the  Jor- 
dan, and  offered  the  inhabitants  the  alternative  of  cir- 
cumcision or  expatriation,  upon  which  they  preferred  the 
former.  On  his  return  from  this  expedition  he  was  seized 
with  sickness,  during  which  his  queen,  Salome,  and  her 
party  excited  his  jealousy  against  Antigonus,  his  favorite 
brother.  Accordingly,  he  summoned  Antigonus  to  his 
presence  unarmed,  and  gave  orders  to  a  guard  of  soldiers 
to  kill  him  if  he  came  in  armor.  But  the  messenger  ap- 
pointed to  bear  the  summons  was  seduced  by  the  enemies 
of  Antigonus  to  direct  the  prince  to  go  to  the  royal  castle 
in  his  armor,  as  the  king  desired  to  see  it.  Antigonus 
was  accordingly  slain,  but  the  reproaches  of  conscience, 
aggravated  by  the  recollection  of  the  cruel  murder  of  his 
mother,  increased  the  disorders  of  Aristobulus,  and  he 
died  the  same  year  in  the  bitterest  agony  of  mind  and 
body. 

Alexander  ^^-  1*^^*1/  Wars  ivtth  Ms  Neighbors. — 

jannseus..  Immediately  after  the  death  of  Aristobulus 
B.  c.  105-78.  j^^  j^.g  ^|(Jq^^^  Alexandra  or  Salome,  released 
his  three  younger  brothers  from  the  prison  in  which  they 
had  been  confined,  and  Alexander  Jannseus,  the  eldest  of 
them,  was  invested  with  the  high  priesthood  and  ascended 
the  throne  of  Judaea.  One  of  his  first  acts  was  to  put 
his  next  brother  to  death  for  entertaining  treasonable  de- 
signs, and  the  remainder  of  his  reign  was  a  series  of  petty 


B.  c.  105-78.         OLD   AND    NEW   TESTAMENTS.  31 1 

wars  with  his  neighbors,  varied  by  civil  war  and  dissen- 
sions at  home.  He  besieged  Ptolemais  in  Phoenicia,  but 
the  citizens  applied  for  aid  to  Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  who 
had  been  compelled  by  his  mother,  Cleopatra,  to  ex- 
change the  kingdom  of  Egypt  for  that  of  Cyprus.  Ptol- 
emy Lathyrus  obliged  Alexander  to  raise  the  siege,  and 
invaded  Galilee  and  Judaea ;  and  Jannseus  would  prob- 
ably have  been  entirely  ruined  had  not  Cleopatra  sent  an 
army  from  Egypt  to  his  assistance.  Alexander  subse- 
quently took  Gadara,  a  fortified  city  east  of  the  Jordan, 
but  after  a  few  other  petty  successes,  in  which  he  met 
with  great  resistance,  he  returned  to  Jerusalem  without 
being  in  the  least  enriched  by  his  conquests. 

50.  Civil  Dissensions  fomented  by  the  Pharisees, 
— The  heroic  line  of  the  Maccab^ean  princes  had  ended 
with  John  Hyrcanus,  and  we  now  enter  upon  a  period  in 
which  the  fury  of  faction  had  converted  the  Pharisees 
into  the  most  dangerous  enemies  of  the  state,  and  ulti- 
mately led  to  civil  war.  At  the  feast  of  tabernacles, 
whilst  Alexander  Jannaius  was  officiating  a«  high  priest 
at  the  altar,  he  was  pelted  with  citrons  by  the  populace 
and  insulted  by  the  most  opprobrious  language,  implying 
that  he  was  descended  from  a  slave  and  unworthy  of 
being  high  priest  or  king.  The  royal  guards  then  fell 
upon  the  people  and  slaughtered  6000  persons,  and  Alex- 
ander, to  prevent  a  recurrence  of  the  like  insult,  railed 
in  the  court  of  the  priests  from  the  approach  of  the 
crowd,  and  took  upward  of  6000  mercenaries  into  his 
pay. 

51.  Conquers  Moah  and  Gilead,  but  loses  his  Army 
in  Gaulonitis. — Alexander  now  endeavored  to  divert 
the  attention  of  the  Jews  from  their  intestine  divisions  by 
engaging  in  war.  Accordingly,  he  succeeded  in  making 
the  lands  of  Moab  and  Gilead  tributary,  but  three  years 
afterward  lost  nearly  all  his  army  in  an  expedition  against 
Gaulonitis,  a  district  in  the  northern  division  of  Batansea, 
east  of  the  Jordan. 

52.  Rebellion  of  the  Pharisees  for  Six  years  ;  the 
Anny  of  Alexander  destroyed, — When  Alexander  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem  after  this  disaster  the  discontent  of 
the  Pharisees  was  shared  by  the  whole  nation,  and  the 
Jews  openly  rebelled  against  his  government.     For  six 


312  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE        b.  c.  105-78. 

years,  in  spite  of  frequent  defeats,  they  maintained  a 
bloody  civil  war,  and  when  at  length  he  sought  an  ac- 
commodation they  desired  him  to  cut  his  throat,  as  these 
were  the  only  terms  upon  which  they  could  be  at  peace 
with  him.  They  sent  to  Demetrius  Eucerus,  king  of 
Syria,  for  succors,  who  accordingly,  with  a  powerful  army 
of  Jews  and  Syrians,  overthrew  Alexander  and  cut  to 
pieces  his  mercenaries  to  a  man,  whilst  most  of  the  Jews 
of  his  party  perished,  and  Alexander  himself  was  forced 
to  fly  to  the  mountains. 

53.  Alexander  regains  the  Kingdom  /  his  Cruelty, 
— Six  thousand  of  the  rebels  now  pitied  the  misfortunes 
of  their  king  and  espoused  his  cause;  and  Demetrius, 
fearing  a  still  greater  defection,  returned  to  Damascus. 
Jannseus  was  again  successful,  and  at  length  obtained  a 
decisive  victory,  in  which  the  greater  part  of  the  rebels 
were  slain.  The  remainder  took  refuge  in  the  fortress  of 
Bethsura,  which  he  besieged  and  took  the  following  year, 
and  carried  the  prisoners  to  Jerusalem.  But  these  suc- 
cesses were  sullied  by  his  barbarous  cruelty.  He  cruci- 
fied eight  hundred  of  the  captives  in  one  day,  and  mas- 
sacred their  wives  and  children  before  their  eyes,  whilst 
he  gave  a  feast  to  his  wives  and  concubines  in  view  of  the 
horrid  scenes,  that  they  might  glut  their  eyes  with  the 
spectacle. 

54.  His  Dying  Advice  to  his  Queen, — The  remain- 
der of  the  rebels  now  fled  the  country,  and  Alexander 
spent  three  years  in  recovering  the  fortresses  which  had 
revolted  during  the  civil  war,  and  also  extended  his  con- 
quests beyond  the  Jordan.  He  then  returned  victorious 
to  Jerusalem,  and  gave  himself  up  to  luxury  and  drunk- 
enness, which  brought  on  a  quartan  ague  that  subse- 
quently proved  fatal,  and  he  died  whilst  besieging  Ra- 
gaba,  east  of  the  Jordan.  In  his  last  moments  he  advised 
Alexandra  his  queen  to  conceal  his  death  until  the  cap- 
ture of  the  fortress,  and  then,  on  returning  to  Jerusalem, 
to  convene  the  Pharisees,  and  first,  to  offer  to  govern  the 
kingdom  according  to  their  counsels;  and  secondly,  to 
resign  his  dead  body  to  their  discretion,  whether  to  treat 
it  with  ignominy  or  with  respect.  She  followed  this  ad- 
vice, and  the  funeral  obsequies  of  her  husband  were  cele- 
brated  with   more   splendor   than   those   of  any  of  his 


B.C.  78-63.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  313 

predecessors,  whilst  she  herself  was  quietly  established  in 
the  government. 

55.  Domination  of  the  PJiarisees  f'  Hijr-  q^^^^^ 
canus  High  JPries*.— Alexandra  was  now  Alexandra, 
settled  on  the  throne,  and  appointed  her  eldest     '  ' 

son,  Hyrcanus,  to  be  high  priest,  but  she  gave  up  the 
reins  of  government  to  the  Pharisees,  and  thus,  as  Jo- 
sephus  observes,  Alexandra  had  the  kingdom  and  the 
Pharisees  the  power.  The  exiles  of  their  party  were  now 
recalled,  and  revenge  was  executed  upon  those  who  had 
persuaded  Alexander  Janoseus  to  crucify  the  eight  hun- 
dred rebels.  ti 

56.  Aristohulus  joins  the  Opposite  rartij.—tlyr- 
canus,  the  high  priest,  was  of  a  weak  disposition,  and  did 
not  oppose  their  proceedings ;  but  his  younger  brother, 
Aristobulus,  incensed  at  the  persecutions  ol  his  lather  s 
former  adherents,  put  himself  at  the  head  of  the  partv 
opposed  to  the  Pharisees,  and  openly  remonstrated  with 
the  queen,  Alexandra,  against  their  proceedings.  ^  ihe 
queen  then  put  some  fortresses  into  the  hands  of  Aristob- 
ulus and  his  friends,  where  they  might  find  refuge  from 
the  tyranny  of  the  Pharisees ;  but  Aristobulus  was  subse- 
quently sent  on  a  foreign  expedition,  and  took  that  oppor- 
tunity of  securing  the  affections  of  the  army.  Alexandra 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three,  after  a  reign  ot  nine 
years. 

57.  Struggles   between  Hyrcanus   and  ^^^^^^^^^ 
Aristobulus.— The   reign   of  Hyrcamis   ii.   b.c.69. 
did  not  exceed  three  months,  for  his  younger  ^ 
brother  Aristobulus  had  already  obtained  the  affections 
of  the  army,  and  the  people,  being  weary  of  the  tyranny 
of  the  Pharisees,  were  ready  for  a  change  of  government. 
A  battle  ensued  between  the  forces  raised  by  the  Phari- 
sees in  favor  of  Hyrcanus  and  the  partisans  of  Aristob- 
ulus, after  which  Hyrcanus  resigned  the  kingdom  and 
high  priesthood,  and  was  contented  to  lead  a  retired  lite 
under  the  protection  of  his  brother. 

58.  Antipater,   Father   of    Herod,   es~  Aristobulus 
pouses  the  Cause  of  Hurcaiius.—Aristoh-  Hi^l'''' 
ulus  II.  now  ascended  the  throne,  but  soon 

found  a  more  subtle  enemy  than   his  imbecde  brother. 
Antipater,  the  father  of  Herod  the  Gh^eat,  an  Idumsean 


27 


314  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  69-63. 

by  birth,  but  Jew  by  religion,  had  been  brought  up  in 
the  court  of  Alexander  Jannseus,  and  contracted  a  firm 
friendship  with  Hyrcanus,  the  heir-apparent  to  the  crown. 
The  deposition  of  the  latter  frustrated  his  hopes,  but  he 
insinuated  to  Hyrcanus  that  his  life  was  in  danger  from 
Aristobulus,  and  at  length  prevailed  on  him  to  fly  to 
Aretas,  king  of  Arabia  Petrsea. 

59.  A^itipater  intriffues  ivith  Aretas^  tvJio  defeats 
Aristobulus. — Antipater  had  previously  engaged  Aretas 
to  furnish  an  army  for  the  assistance  of  Hyrcanus,  and 
accordingly  the  Arabian  king  led  50,000  men  into  Judsea, 
and,  being  joined  by  the  Jewish  partisans  of  Hyrcanus, 
he  defeated  Aristobulus  and  forced  him  to  retire  to  the 
temple,  where  he  besieged  him. 

60.  Roman  Interference ;  Pompey  arbitrates  be- 
tween Hyrcanus  and  Aristobulus. — Meantime,  Pom- 
pey  was  carrying  on  his  conquests  in  Asia,  and  had  sent 
a  division  of  his  army  under  Scaurus  into  Syria.  The 
two  brothers  sent  offers  to  Scaurus  for  his  assistance,  who 
acce^Jted  those  of  Aristobulus,  and  ordered  Aretas  to  re- 
tire, under  pain  of  an  invasion.  After  this  Pompey  re- 
duced Coele-Syria,  and  was  met  at  Damascus  by  ambas- 
sadors both  from  the  Jewish  nation  and  the  two  brothers 
to  request  that  he  would  decide  the  quarrel.  He  accord- 
ingly subsequently  listened  to  the  statement  of  the  am- 
bassadors from  Judsea,  and  permitted  the  brothers  to 
13lead  their  cause  before  him.  The  representatives  of  the 
Jewish  people  declared  their  wish  to  be  subject  to  priests 
only,  and  not  to  kings.  Hyrcanus  pleaded  the  injustice 
of  his  younger  brother  in  depriving  him  of  the  crown, 
whilst  Aristobulus  urged  the  imbecility  of  Hyrcanus  and 
his  evident  unfitness  for  government.  Pompey,  however, 
would  not  openly  declare  his  sentiments,  though  he  saw 
that  the  weakness  of  Hyrcanus  presented  the  fewest 
obstacles  to  the  extension  of  the  Roman  conquests ;  and 
Aristobulus,  perceiving  clearly  that  the  decision  would 
not  be  in  his  favor,  withdrew  to  make  preparations  of 
defence. 

61.  Potnj^ey  takes  Jerusalem ^  and  restoi^es  Hyr- 
canus II.  to  the  throne. — After  this  Pompey  reduced 
Aretas  and  took  Petra,  the  capital  of  Arabia  Petrsea,  and 
then  marched  asainst  Aristobulus,  whom  he  found  in  the 


B.C.  63-40.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  615 

frontier  fortress  of  Alexandrium.  Pompey  summoned 
the  Jewish  prince  to  his  presence,  who  accordingly  came 
down  and  had  several  interviews  with  him,  but  was  at 
length  required  to  sign  an  order  for  the  surrender  of  all 
the  fortresses  to  the  Romans  before  he  quitted  the  camp. 
Aristobulus  now  saw  that  negotiations  were  useless,  and 
was  no  sooner  dismissed  than  he  fled  to  Jerusalem  and 
prepared  for  a  siege.  On  the  approach  of  Pompey  he 
submitted,  and  came  out  and  offered  a  sum  of  money  to 
prevent  a  war.  Pompey  accepted  the  proposal,  and  sent 
Gabinius  to  receive  the  money,  but  the  latter  found  the 
gates  shut  and  returned  to  the  camp,  and  Aristobulus  was 
put  in  chains.  Pompey  then  marched  in  person  to  Jeru- 
salem ;  the  gates  were  opened  by  the  party  of  Hyrcanus, 
whilst  that  of  Aristobulus  withdrew  into  the  temple,  and 
for  three  months  sustained  a  siege.  Pompey  at  length 
found  that,  whilst  the  Jews  would  resist  an  attack  on  the 
Sabbath  day,  they  would  not  hinder  the  besieging  works. 
On  that  day,  therefore,  he  advanced  the  battering-rams 
and  filled  up  the  ditches,  and  at  last  took  the  place  by 
assault  and  slew  12,000  of  the  Jews,  including  many 
priests,  whose  blood  was  mingled  with  the  blood  of  their 
sacrifices.  He  then  entered  the  temple  and  viewed  the 
sanctuary  and  "  Holy  of  Holies,"  but  left  the  sacred  ves- 
sels untouched,  though  it  may  be  observed  that  he,  who 
had  hitherto  experienced  the  greatest  successes,  never 
prospered  in  any  of  his  undertakings  after  this  profana- 
tion. He  appointed  Hyrcanus  to  be  high  priest  and 
prince  of  the  country,  but  on  condition  that  he  should 
submit  to  the  Romans  and  pay  tribute,  and  that  he 
should  not  assume  the  diadem  nor  extend  his  territories 
beyond  their  ancient  boundaries.  Pompey  then  took 
Aristobulus  and  his  two  sons,  Alexander  and  Antigonus, 
prisoners  to  Rome,  to  grace  his  triumph ;  but  they  sub- 
sequently escaped  at  different  periods,  and  caused  great 
disturbances. 

62.  Hoinan  Supremacy;  Antipater  at  Hyrcanus ii. 
tlie  Head  of  Affairs, — The  restoration  of  Hyr-  (restored). 
canus  II.  to  the  throne  was  purely  nominal,   ^'  ^"  ^^"^'^' 
for  Antipater  was  the  actual  governor  of  Judsea.     But 
for  the  future  the  Jewish  state  was  entirely  dependent  on 
Rome,  and  this  yoke  was  confirmed  by  the  subsequent 


316  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  63-40. 

policy  of  Antipater  and  his  sons,  who  followed  the  general 
maxim  of  entire  devotion  to  the  Koman  power,  in  order 
to  succeed  in  wholly  removing  the  reigning  family  of  the 
Maccabees. 

63.  Alexander f  Son  of  AristohuluSf  invades  Ju- 
dcea ;  defeated  hy  Antipater  and  the  Momans. — 
Alexander,  the  eldest  son  of  Aristobulus,  had  escaped 
from  Pompey  whilst  being  carried  prisoner  to  Rome,  and 
now  reappeared  in  Judsea  at  the  head  of  10,000  infantry 
and  1500  horse,  took  several  fortresses,  and  ravaged  the 
country.  Hyrcanus  was  obliged  to  apjDly  to  Gabinius,  the 
Roman  proconsul  of  Syria,  for  assistance,  who  thereupon 
sent  some  troops  into  Judsea  under  the  celebrated  Mark 
Antony,  whilst  he  prepared  to  follow  with  a  larger  army. 
Mark  Antony  united  his  forces  with  those  of  Antipater 
and  Hyrcanus,  defeated  Alexander,  and  compelled  him 
to  retire  to  the  fortress  of  Alexandrium.  Gabinius  now 
arrived,  and  by  the  intervention  of  the  mother  of  Alexan- 
der he  made  peace  with  the  latter,  on  condition  of  his 
surrendering  Alexandrium  and  tiie  other  fortresses  which 
he  had  taken. 

64.  Gabinius  changes  the  Government  to  an  Aris~ 
toci^acy  ;  Constitution  of  the  Sanhedrims. — Gabinius 
now  went  to  Jerusalem,  and  confirmed  Hyrcanus  in  the 
high  priesthood,  but  changed  the  government  from  a  mon- 
archy to  an  aristocracy,  probably  at  the  request  of  the 
Jews  themselves,  who  had  formerly  desired  such  a  change 
from  Pompey  (sect.  60).  Hitherto,  justice  had  been  ad- 
ministered throughout  Judsea  by  two  Sanhedrims  or  tri- 
bunals. The  Lesser  Sanhedrim  consisted  either  of  twenty- 
three  or  of  seven  judges,*  and  existed  in  every  city ;  the 
Greater  Sanhedrim,'\  of  which  the  high  priest  was  presi- 

*  The  Lesser  Sanhedrim. — The  Talmud  says  that  this  smaller  court 
consisted  of  twenty-three  members,  but  Josephus,  who  must  have  been 
intimately  acquainted  with  all  the  judicial  institutions  of  his  nation, 
does  not  mention  this  smaller  council,  but  says  that  the  court  next  below 
the  Sanhedrim  was  composed  of  seven  members.  Several  attempts 
have  been  made  to  reconcile  the  two  accounts,  but  without  success,  and 
it  seems  now  generally  agreed  that  the  account  of  Josephus  is  to  be 
preferred. 

"f"  The  Greater  Sanhedrim,  which  appears  to  have  been  established 
during  the  reigns  of  the  first  Maccabees,  included  amongst  its  members, 
1st,  chief  priests — that  is,  ex-high  priests — and  the  heads  of  the  twenty- 
four  classes  of  priests )  2d,  elders,  or  princes  of  the  tribes,  and  heads 


B.  c.  63-40.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  317 

dent,  was  composed  of  seventy  or  seventy-two  persons, 
and  sat  only  at  Jerusalem,  and  tried  all  the  appeal  cases 
brought  up  from  the  Lesser  Sanhedrims.  By  this  constitu- 
tion Jerusalem  was  the  chief  place  of  authority,  and  the 
principal  ecclesiastical  and  judicial  powers  were  neces- 
sarily vested  in  the  high  priest,  apart  from  the  royal 
dignity  which  the  Maccabsean  princes  had  previously 
enjoyed.  Gabinius  now  established  five  independent  but 
Great  Sanhedrims — at  Jerusalem,  Jericho,  Gadara,  Ama- 
thus,  and  Sepphoris — and  thus  transferred  all  the  civil 
powers  of  Hyrcauus  to  the  nobles,  and  deprived  the  nation 
of  a  common  centre  of  union.  This  form  of  government 
continued  until  b.  c.  44,  when  Julius  Csesar  restored  Hyr- 
canus  to  his  former  power. 

65.  Defeat  and  Death  of  Aristobttlus  and  his  Son 
Alexander. — Aristobulus  at  length  escaped  from  Rome, 
and  raised  an  army,  but  was  defeated  by  Gabinius  and 
taken  prisoner  ;  and  his  son  Alexander,  who  repeated  the 
attempt  whilst  Gabinius  was  invading  Egypt,  met  with 
similar  ill-success  on  the  return  of  the  Roman  general. 
Gabinius  was  subsequently  superseded  in  the  government 
of  Syria  by  Crassus,  who  plundered  the  temple  of  10,000 
talents.  In  the  civil  wars  between  Pompey  and  Csesar, 
Aristobulus  and  Alexander  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
latter ;  but  Aristobulus,  who  was  released  by  Csesar,  and 
sent  with  two  legions  to  promote  his  interests  in  Judsea, 
was  poisoned  on  his  way  by  the  adherents  of  Pompey,  and 
his  son  Alexander,  who  had  raised  forces  in  Judsea  in  ex- 
pectation of  the  arrival  of  his  father,  was  carried  to  Anti- 
och  and  beheaded  after  a  formal  trial. 

66.  Antipater  assists  the  Romans  ;  appointed  Pro- 
curator of  Judcea  by  Jidius  Ccesar. — Meantime,  An- 
tipater was  using  every  means  to  ingratiate  himself  with 
the  Romans,  and  was  rapidly  rising  in  power  and  distinc- 
tion. In  B.  c.  56  he  had  greatly  assisted  Gabinius  and 
Mark  Antony  in  the  invasion  of  Egypt,  and  after  the 
death  of  Pompey,  in  b.  c.  48,  he  warmly  espoused  the 
cause  of  Julius  Csesar,  and  brought  to  his  aid  in  the 

of  the  family  associations  (sect.  134) ;  and  3d,  scribes,  or  learned  men. 
All  the  elders  and  scribes,  however,  did  not  hold  a  seat,  but  became 
members  either  by  election  or  by  a  nomination  from  the  ruling  execu- 
tive authority. 

27* 


318  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  63-40. 

Egyptian  campaign  the  forces  concentrated  in  Judaea, 
Idumsea,  and  part  of  Arabia.  In  return,  Csesar  refused 
to  listen  to  the  claims  of  Antigonus,  the  only  surviving 
son  of  Aristobulus,  abolished  the  aristocratical  constitu- 
tion of  Gabinius,  restored  the  supreme  authority  to  Hyr- 
canus,  and  made  Antipater  procurator  of  Judsea  under 
the  latter;  and  he  subsequently  confirmed  Hyrcanus 
in  the  high  priesthood  and  ethnarchy,  and  remitted  the 
tribute  to  be  paid  to  the  Romans  during  the  sabbatical 
year. 

67.  Mise  of  the  Herodians;  Herod  defies  the  San- 
hedrhn, — Antipater  had  now  four  sons  grown  up — Pha- 
sael,  whom  he  made  governor  of  Jerusalem ;  Hekod,  whom 
he  appointed  governor  of  Galilee  ;  Joseph ;  and  Pheroras  ; 
together  with  a  daughter  named  Salome.  The  prosperity 
of  Antipater  and  his  family  now  rendered  them  odious  to 
the  Jews  of  the  aristocratic  party.  Herod,  by  his  heroism 
and  enterprise  against  the  banditti  of  his  district,  "had 
gained  both  the  admiration  of  the  people  and  the  esteem 
of  Sextus  Caesar,  a  relative  of  Julius  Csesar,  who  had  been 
invested  with  the  government  of  Syria.  But  the  popu- 
larity of  Herod  aroused  the  jealousy  of  the  aristocracy. 
He  had  put  the  leader  of  the  robbers  to  death  on  his  own 
authority  and  without  any  formal  trial,  and  his  enemies 
persuaded  Hyrcanus  to  summon  him  to  Jerusalem  to 
answer  for  his  conduct  before  the  Sanhedrim.  Herod 
came  clothed  in  purple,  attended  by  his  guards,  and  bear- 
ing a  menacing  letter  from  Sextus  Csesar  commanding 
the  Sanhedrim  to  acquit  him.  The  assembly  was  over- 
awed, but  Samias  stepped  boldly  forward,  arraigned  him 
for  his  crime  and  presumption,  and  j^redicted  that  the 
day  would  come  when  Herod  would  refuse  them  the  par- 
don which  they  were  now  but  too  ready  to  extend  to  him. 
(See  sect.  74.)  The  Sanhedrim  now  seemed  inclined  to 
act,  but  Hyrcanus  adjourned  the  sitting,  and  thus  gave 
Herod  the  opportunity  to  fly  to  Damascus ;  but  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  the  youthful  general  was  after- 
ward dissuaded  by  his  father  and  brother  from  marching 
an  army  to  Jerusalem  to  avenge  the  insult. 

68.  Julius  Ccesar  assassinated,  44;  Antix>ater 
poisoned  by  Malichus. — The  assassination  of  Julius 
Csesar,  which  took  place  shortly  after,  threw  the  Roman 


B.  c.  60-40.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  319 

empire  into  the  greatest  confusion.  Cassius,  one  of  the 
conspirators,  seized  Syria,  and  taxed  the  territory  of  Hyr- 
canus  at  seven  hundred  talents,  one  half  of  which  Antip- 
ater  commissioned  his  sons  Phasael  and  Herod  to  raise, 
and  entrusted  the  collection  of  the  other  half  to  Malichus, 
a  nobleman  who  was  attached  to  the  interests  of  Hyrcanus. 
Malichus  failed  in  procuring  the  proper  supply,  and  would 
have  been  put  to  death,  had  not  Antipater  paid  one  hun- 
dred talents  out  of  the  treasury  of  Hyrcanus.  But 
shortly  after,  Malichus,  who  thus  owed  his  life  to  Antipa- 
ter, formed  a  party  against  his  preserver,  and  poisoned 
him  at  a  banquet,  and  seized  Jerusalem ;  but  he  met  with 
a  just  punishment,  for  through  the  interference  of  Phasael 
and  Herod  he  was  afterward  put  to  death  by  the  Roman 
garrison  at  Tyre. 

69.  Hyrcanus  joins  the  Faction  of  Malichus,  hut 
is  reconciled  by  Herod's  espousing  Marianine, — But 
the  defeat  of  Brutus  and  Cassius  at  Philippi  deprived  the 
sons  of  Antipater  of  their  strongest  support,  and  the 
party  formed  by  Malichus  continued  their  opposition 
after  the  death  of  their  leader.  This  faction  at  length 
gained  over  Hyrcanus  by  arousing  his  jealousy,  but  the 
sons  of  Antipater  upbraided  him  with  his  desertion,  and 
the  differences  between  them  were  speedily  removed  by 
Herod's  espousing  Mariamne,  the  beautiful  granddaugh- 
ter of  Hyrcanus,  and  thus  connecting  himself  with  the 
Maccabsean  line. 

70.  Faction  of  3Ialichus  headed  hy  Antigonus, 
42,  41. — On  the  defection  of  Hyrcanus  the  adverse 
party  placed  Antigonus,  the  only  surviving  son  of  Aris- 
tobulus,  at  their  head,  and  even  persuaded  the  Roman 
governor  of  Damascus  to  enforce  the  claims  of  the  latter 
to  the  throne  of  Judsea.  But  Antigonus  was  totally  de- 
feated by  Herod,  and  compelled  for  a  period  to  relin- 
quish his  purpose.  The  next  year  the  discontented  party 
sent  a  deputation  to  Mark  Antony  to  complain  that  Pha- 
sael and  Herod  were  undermining  the  authority  of  Hyr- 
canus. Meantime,  however,  Herod  had  reminded  Antony 
of  the  services  which  his  father  Antipater  had  formerly 
rendered  in  the  Egyptian  expedition  (sect.  6Q),  and 
had  conciliated  the  Triumviri  by  valuable  presents,  and 
thus   induced  the  latter  to  disregard  the  complaints  of 


320  CONNECTION  BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  40-37. 

a  faction  and  to  make  him  and  his  brother  Phasael 
tetrarchs  of  Palestine. 

71.  JParthians  place  Antigonus  on  the  TJirone ; 
Herod  escapes  to  Home,  40. — Antony  now  proceeded 
to  Egypt,  AY^iere  he  wasted  his  time  in  luxurious  ease  and 
dalliance  with  Cleopatra,  leaving  the  affairs  of  Syria  and 
Asia  Minor  to  fall  into  the  utmost  confusion.  The  peo- 
ple of  Syria,  exhausted  by  successive  exactions,  refused 
to  pay  further  tribute.  The  Parthians,  under  their  king's 
son,  Pacorus,  marched  to  aid  the  revolt,  and  after  master- 
ing Syria,  Pacorus  was  induced,  by  the  offer  of  1000  tal- 
ents and  five  hundred  female  slaves,  to  assist  in  placing 
Antigonus  on  the  throne.  An  undecisive  struggle  en- 
sued between  the  forces  of  the  Parthians  and  those  of 
the  two  brothers,  after  which  Phasael  and  Hyrcanus 
were  induced,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  Herod,  to  visit 
the  Parthian  governor  of  Syria  and  submit  the  dispute 
to  his  arbitration.  The  Parthian  governor,  however, 
treacherously  put  them  both  in  chains ;  Phasael  com- 
mitted suicide,  Hyrcanus  was  barbarously  mutilated  to 
incapacitate  him  from  exercising  the  high  priesthood, 
whilst  Herod  escaped  from  Jerusalem  and  hastened  to 
Eome. 

Antigonus.  72.  Hcvod  Obtains  the  Kingdom  from 

B.C. 40-37.  ^^^  Triumvirate, — At  Kome,  Herod  had 
intended  to  request  the  Triumvirate — Octavius  Caesar, 
Antony,  and  Lepidus — to  confer  the  throne  of  Judsea  on 
Aristobulus,  brother  of  Mariamne,  but  he  found  Antony 
so  willing  to  advance  his  interests  that  a  decree  was  ob- 
tained from  the  senate  appointing  himself  king  of  the 
Jews. 

73.  Heduces  Antigonus;  End  of  the  Maccahcean 
Dynasty,  37» — Herod  now  returned  to  Jerusalem, 
raised  an  army,  and  carried  on  the  war  against  Antig- 
onus. The  Eomans,  who  had  already  driven  the  Par- 
thians beyond  the  Euphrates,  now  assisted  him  in  obtain- 
ing the  throne,  and  after  three  years  he  had  besieged  and 
taken  Jerusalem  and  gained  possession  of  Judsea.  Dur- 
ing the  siege,  which  lasted  six  months,  Herod  endeavored 
to  conciliate  the  people  by  consummating  his  marriage 
with  Mariamne,  and  thus  contracting  an  afiinity  with  the 
Maccabsean  family,  but  Antigonus  was  sent  in  chains  to 


B.  c.  37-4.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  321 

Antioch,  where  he  was  executed  by  Antony  as  a  common 
malefactor.  Thus  ignominiously  ended  the  dynasty  of 
the  Maccabees,  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years  from 
the  commencement  of  the  authority  of  Judas  Maccabseus, 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  years  from  the  acknow- 
ledgment of  his  power  by  Antiochus  Eupator. 

III.  History  of  the  Jews  under  the  Herodians  to  the  Com- 
mencement of  New  Testament  History. 

74.  Massacres  Ms  Opponents  and  Pro-  Herod  the 
pitiates  Antony, — Immediately  after  Herod  Great,  b.  c. 
had  taken  Jerusalem  and  ascended  the  throne 

it  was  necessary  that  he  should  confirm  his  authority  in 
Judsea  and  discharge  his  obligations  to  Mark  Antony. 
In  effecting  the  former  his  conduct  was  marked  by  cru- 
elty and  revenge.  All  the  Sanhedrim  were  massacred 
except  Pollio  and  Samias,  who  had  counselled  the  sur- 
render of  the  city,  and  all  the  adherents  of  Antigonus 
who  could  be  discovered  were  summarily  put  to  death. 
Meantime,  the  Romans,  exasperated  at  the  length  of  the 
siege,  had  filled  Jerusalem  with  bloodshed  and  rapine. 
Herod  declared  that  they  would  make  his  kingdom  a 
desert,  and  paid  them  a  large  sum  of  money  to  desist. 
Nevertheless,  he  found  means,  by  forcing  contributions 
from  the  wealthy  and  confiscating  the  property  of  the 
slain,  to  send  sufficient  plunder  to  Antony  as  would  in 
part  discharge  his  obligation. 

75.  Apxtoints  Ananel  High  Priest. — The  office  of 
high  priest  was  now  vacant  by  the  execution  of  Antig- 
onus and  mutilation  of  Hyrcanus,  who  returned  to  Ju- 
dsea, but  was  put  to  death  a  few  years  afterward  on  a 
suspicion  of  treason.  According  to  hereditary  succession, 
it  belonged  of  right  to  Aristobulus,  brother  of  Mariamne, 
for  whom  Herod  had  at  first  intended  to  ask  the  kingdom ; 
but  the  king  was  afraid  lest  the  influence  attached  to  the 
office  should  prove  dangerous  to  himself,  and,  not  being 
able  to  undertake  it  in  his  own  person,  he  gave  it  to 
an  obscure  Babylonian  priest  named  Ananel. 

76.  Aristohulus  obtains  the  Office,  hut  is  Browned, 
— The  pride  of  Alexandra,  the  mother  of  Mariamne  and 
Aristobulus,  was  now  aroused  at  this  insult.    She  appealed 


oSZ  CONNECTION   BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  37-4 

to  Cleopatra,  who  immediately  began  to  interest  Antony 
in  the  matter,  and  Herod  found  it  necessary  to  depose 
Ananel  and  elevate  Aristobulus  to  the  high  priesthood. 
But  the  latter  soon  excited  the  fatal  jealousy  of  the 
monarch.  Aristobulus  was  tall  and  eminently  handsome, 
and  exhibited  in  his  countenance  the  noble  qualities  and 
lineaments  of  the  Maccabsean  race ;  and  at  the  feast  of 
tabernacles,  whilst  officiating  at  the  altar  in  the  splen- 
did robes  of  his  office,  the  assembled  multitude  burst  into 
loud  acclamations  of  joy  and  goodwill.  After  the  festival 
Herod  was  entertained  by  Alexandra  near  Jericho,  and 
at  his  instigation  Aristobulus  bathed  in  the  midst  of  his 
attendants  and  acquaintance,  and  in  a  pretended  sport 
was  drowned  after  repeated  immersion. 

77.  Herod  sum^noned  hy  Antony, — Herod  affected 
to  shed  tears  at  the  accident,  but  Alexandra  was  con- 
vinced of  his  participation  in  the  murder,  and  again  ap- 
plied to  Cleopatra.  The  latter  had  now  joined  Antony 
at  Laodicea  in  Syria,  and  through  her  influence  Antony 
was  persuaded  to  summon  Herod  to  Laodicea  to  answer 
for  his  conduct.  Herod  was  obliged  to  obey,  but  by  a 
profusion  of  gifts  so  propitiated  Antony  that  on  his 
arrival  he  was  immediately  acquitted. 

78.  First  Secret  Instructions  respecting  Mciri- 
anme. — Before  Herod  left  Jerusalem  he  privately  in- 
structed his  uncle  Joseph  (husband  of  his  sister  Salome) 
to  put  Mariamne  to  death  in  case  he  should  be  con- 
demned, as  he  feared,  lest  Antony  should  make  her  his 
partner.  Joseph  foolishly  divulged  the  secret  to  Mari- 
amne as  a  proof  of  her  husband's  love.  Meantime,  Sa- 
lome, who  was  the  firebrand  of  the  family,  had  become 
indignant  at  the  proud  treatment  she  received  from  Ma- 
riamne, and  on  the  return  of  Herod  insinuated  to  the  lat- 
ter that  Mariamne  had  carried  on  an  illicit  intercourse 
with  Joseph.  Mariamne  soon  persuaded  Herod  of  the 
unfounded  nature  of  the  charge,  but  subsequently  be- 
trayed her  knowledge  of  the  secret  instructions  he  had 
given  to  Joseph.  This  he  considered  to  be  a  proof  of 
her  guilt,  and,  though  he  restrained  himself  from  put- 
ting her  to  death,  yet  he  immediately  ordered  the  ex- 
ecution of  Joseph. 

79.  Fall  of  Antony  at  Actium;  Herod  conciliates 


B.  c.  37-4.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  323 

Augustus,  and  is  confinned  on  tlie  Tlivone. — In  B.  c. 

31,  Antony  met  with  a  decisive  overthrow  at  Actium. 
Herod  immediately  sent  a  special  message  exhorting 
him  to  slay  Cleopatra,  seize  her  treasures  and  kingdom, 
and  thus  raise  another  army  with  which  to  contend  for 
empire.  Antony,  however,  seemed  bent  on  his  own  ruin, 
and  Herod  obtained  an  audience  with  Augustus  at  Rhodes. 
In  this  interview  he  boldly  acknowledged  all  he  had  done, 
and  all  he  would  have  done,  for  Antony,  and  even  stated 
the  last  counsels  he  had  given  to  that  infatuated  man ; 
and  having  thus  enabled  Augustus  to  judge  of  his  fidel- 
ity to  others,  he  plainly  ofiered  him  the  same  friendship 
and  engaged  to  be  equally  faithful.  This  manly  frank- 
ness, seconded  by  liberal  presents,  obtained  the  favor  of 
Augustus  and  secured  the  kingdom  to  Herod,  whose  do- 
minions included  the  whole  of  the  territories  possessed  by 
the  late  Maccabees,  and  were  divided  into  five  districts — 
namely.  West  of  the  Jordan — 1.  Judaea ;  2.  Samaria ;  3. 
Galilee.  East — 4.  Penea."^  South — 5.  Idumsea.  And 
when  Augustus  visited  Herod  some  years  afterward  he 
Avas  received  with  the  most  royal  liberality  and  mag- 
nificence. 

80.  Second  Secret  Instructions  respecting  Mart- 
funne;  her  Execution. — Before  Herod  left  Jerusalem 
this  second  time  he  committed  Mariamne  and  her  mother 
Alexandra  to  the  care  of  his  friend  Soemus,  with  similar 
directions  to  those  he  had  previously  given  to  Joseph — 
viz.  that  if  Augustus  compassed  his  death,  Mariamne  and 
Alexandra  should  not  be  permitted  to  survive  him.  But 
Soemus  was  induced  by  the  entreaties  of  the  women,  by 
their  kind  presents,  and  by  his  own  belief  that  Herod 

w  Division  of  Peraea. — Peraea,  which  signifies  the  country  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  was  a  general  name  for  any  district  belonging  to  or  closely 
connected  with  a  country  from  the  main  part  of  which  it  was  separated 
by  a  sea  or  river.  The  name  Fersea  was  therefore  applied  in  its  more 
extended  sense  to  the  whole  territory  stretching  from  the  river  Arnon 
to  Mount  Hernion,  between  the  Jordan  and  the  desert,  and  was  sub- 
divided into  eight  districts  or  cantons — viz.  1.  Peraea,  in  the  more 
limited  sense,  which  only  extended  from  the  Arnon  to  the  Jabbok ;  2. 
Gilead,  or  Galaaditis;  3.  Decapolis,  or  Ten  Cities,  of  which  little  is 
known  for  certain;  4.  Gaulonitis;  5.  Batanea,  the  ancient  Bashan  ; 
6.  Ituraea  or  Auranitis ;  7.  Trachonitis ;  8.  Abilene,  in  the  extreme 
north,  among  the  mountains  of  Anti-Libanus  between  Baalbec  and 
Damascus. 


324  CONNECTION  BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  37-4. 

would  never  return  in  safety,  to  reveal  the  orders  for  their 
destruction.  Accordingly,  when  Herod  came  back  to  Je- 
rusalem after  his  interview  with  Augustus  he  was  received 
by  Mariamne  with  coldness  and  dislike.  For  a  whole 
year  the  king  fluctuated  between  love  and  resentment,  but 
at  length  Mariamne  brought  matters  to  a  crisis  by  point- 
edly refusing  to  return  his  love,  and '  by  upbraiding  him 
with  the  murder  of  her  grandfather  and  brother.  Salome, 
actuated  by  a  fiendish  desire  of  revenge,  seized  this  oppor- 
tunity for  suborning  the  cup-bearer  of  Herod  to  assert 
that  Mariamne  had  bribed  him  to  administer  a  potion  to 
her  husband.  The  king  immediately  put  his  wife's  con- 
fidential eunuch  to  the  torture,  thinking  he  must  be  aware 
of  the  cause  of  her  altered  conduct ;  but  the  eunuch  dis- 
closed nothing  relating  to  the  potion,  but  admitted  that 
her  estrangement  arose  from  her  knowledge  of  the  orders 
with  which  Soemus  had  been  entrusted.  Herod  was  now 
persuaded  that  nothing  but  an  illicit  intercourse  with 
Mariamne  could  have  wrung  the  secret  from  so  faithful 
an  officer  as  Soemus.  Accordingly,  he  ordered  the  latter 
to  be  instantly  executed,  and  then  summoned  his  more 
immediate  friends  to  try  his  wife  for  administering  the 
potion.  Mariamne  was  found  guilty  and  condemned  to 
death,  but  Herod  commuted  the  sentence  to  imprison- 
ment. His  bloodthirsty  sister  Salome,  however,  persuaded 
him  that  her  death  was  necessary  as  a  security  against  a 
popular  tumult,  and  she  was  led  away  to  execution.  Ma- 
riamne met  her  death  with  a  firmness  which  became  her 
race,  though  her  own  mother  Alexandra,  from  the  fear  of 
sharing  in  her  punishment,  assailed  her  on  the  way  mth 
the  most  violent  and  indecent  reproaches.  The  vehement 
love  of  Herod  for  this  beautiful  princess  outlived  his 
jealousy,  and  his  remorse  could  not  be  removed  by  the 
pleasures  of  the  table  or  the  chase.  He  retired  from  so- 
ciety, and  was  at  length  seized  with  fever  and  delirium. 
Alexandra,  thinking  it  impossible  for  him  to  recover, 
laid  a  plot  for  seizing  the  government,  but  it  was  dis- 
covered to  Herod  by  the  officers  whom  she  endeavored  to 
corrupt,  and  he  instantly  ordered  her  to  be  put  to  death. 

81.  Herod  introduces  Heathen  Customs  and  Pub- 
lic Games. — When  Herod  had  recovered  his  health  he 
sedulously  endeavored  to  remove  the  prejudices  of  the 


B.  c.  37-4.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  325 

Jews  and  Eomanize  Judaea.  He  instituted  horse-  and 
chariot-races  and  public  games  in  honor  of  Augustus,  and 
built  a  theatre  and  amphitheatre  in  Jerusalem  in  which 
celebrated  musicians  contended  for  victory,  animals  were 
exhibited,  and  gladiators  fought  with  wild  beasts  and  with 
each  other. 

82.  Conspiracy  of  Ten. — By  these  proceedings,  and 
especially  by  the  adornment  of  the  public  places  with  the 
trophies  of  the  conquests  of  Augustus,  Herod  had  acted  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  Jewish  prejudices,  and  appeared 
as  the  enemy  of  their  country  and  their  God.  Ten  of 
the  most  zealous  malcontents  formed  a  conspiracy  to  as- 
sassinate him  in  the  theatre.  The  plot  was  discovered, 
the  conspirators  were  arrested  with  daggers  concealed 
about  their  persons,  and  were  immediately  put  to  death 
with  the  most  cruel  tortures. 

83.  Increases  the  Fortifications ,  erects  JPnblic 
Works,  and  rebuilds  the  Temple, — Herod  now  de- 
termined to  increase  his  fortifications  as  a  security  for 
himself  and  a  provision  against  rebellions,  and  to  display 
his  power  and  gratify  his  magnificence  by  the  erection 
of  costly  and  splendid  public  works.  In  Jerusalem  he 
already  possessed  two  fortresses,  the  palace  and  castle  of 
Antonia,  which  had  been  named  after  Antony.  He  now 
rebuilt  the  city  of  Samaria,  and  bestowed  on  it  the  name 
of  Sebaste  in  honor  of  Augustus,  and  erected  a  temple  in 
it  which  he  dedicated  to  Csesar.  He  converted  the  Tower 
of  Strato  into  a  grand  city  and  seaport,  and  built  an  arti- 
ficial harbor  with  moles  and  breakwater  and  surrounded 
with  a  wall  and  towers,  and  to  this  new  city  he  gave  the 
name  of  Csesarea.  He  also  erected  at  the  source  of  the 
Jordan,  called  Fanium,  a  temple  of  white  marble,  which 
he  dedicated  to  Augustus*.  And  at  length  he  was  led  to 
form  the  bold  design  of  pulling  do\vn  the  old  temple  at 
Jerusalem,  wdiich  had  sustained  great  damage  during  the 
civil  wars,  and  of  rebuilding  it  entirely  on  a  more  magni- 
ficent scale.  (An  account  of  this  stupendous  work  may  be 
found  at  sect.  360,  note.) 

84.  Famine  in  Judcea;  JSerod^s  Generosity. — In 
the  thirteenth  year  of  the  reign  a  dreadful  famine  visited 
Judsea  and  Samaria,  during  which  Herod  made  such  sac- 
rifices to  relieve  his  people,  and  exhibited  such  noble 

28 


326  CONNECTION  BETWEEN   THE  b.  c.  37-4. 

generosity,  that  had  not  his  crimes  branded  his  memory 
with  the  indelible  mark  of  tyranny  he  would  have  ranked 
amongst  the  kings  who  had  been  benefactors  to  their  sub- 
jects. He  stripped  his  palaces  of  every  ornament  of  sil- 
ver and  gold,  and,  loading  a  vessel  with  the  spoils,  sent  it 
to  Egypt  to  purchase  corn,  and  for  a  long  time  fed  the 
whole  mass  of  the  population  at  his  own  cost.  By  his 
kind  interference  also  Agrippa  relieved  the  Jewish  colo- 
nies of  Asia  from  the  exactions  they  suffered,  and  obtained 
a  restitution  of  the  privileges  which  had  been  previously 
confirmed  to  them  by  the  Romans. 

85.  Intrigues  of  Salome  and  Antipater ;  Trial 
and  Execution  of  Alexander  and  AristohuluSy  the 
Sons  of  Mariamne. — Herod  ruled  from  his  confirmation 
on  his  throne  by  Augustus  until  his  death,  a  period  of 
nearly  thirty  years,  undisturbed  by  a  single  war,  for  the 
occasional  hostilities  with  the  robbers  of  Trachonitis  and 
the  Arab  chiefs  that  supported  them  scarcely  deserve  the 
name  of  Avarfare.  But  his  prosperity  as  a  sovereign  is 
strangely  contrasted  with  the  long  series  of  domestic  trage- 
dies that  mark  the  latter  years  of  his  life.  The  details 
of  this  complicated  tissue  of  crimes  and  intrigues  will  be 
found  in  the  pages  of  Josephus,  but  the  following  is  a 
summary  of  the  events :  Herod,  though  not  w^anting  in 
natural  affection  for  his  children,  was  still  more  jealous 
of  the  maintenance  of  his  authority  as  monarch,  and 
when  the  latter  was  threatened  his  ungovernable  passions 
quickly  overcame  the  dictates  of  Nature  and  justice.  By 
Mariamne  he  had  two  sons,  Alexander  and  Aristobulus, 
whom  he  sent  to  be  educated  for  three  years  at  Rome 
under  the  immedate  inspection  of  Augustus,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time  he  himself  brought  them  back  to 
Judsea.  The  return  of  the  young  men  diffused  general 
satisfaction,  but  aroused  the  fears  of  Salome  and  of  all 
those  who  had  participated  in  the  condemnation  of  their 
mother  Mariamne.  The  latter  party  accordingly  spread 
reports  that  the  young  men  disliked  their  father,  and  only 
regarded  him  as  the  murderer  of  their  mother ;  and  at 
length  Herod  was  informed  by  his  sister  Salome  and 
brother  Pheroras  of  the  pretended  revengeful  temper  of 
the  sons  of  Mariamne.  Herod  was  exceedingly  afflicted 
at  the  intelligence.     He  had  a  son,  Antipater,  by  his  first 


B.  c.  37-4.  OLD   AND   NEW   TESTAMENTS.  827 

wife,  Doris,  born  before  he  ascended  the  throne,  and  he 
now  sent  for  Antipater  to  court,  and  hoped  by  taking  him 
into  favor  to  repress  the  rebellious  spirit  of  Alexander 
and  Aristobulus.  Antipater  followed  the  policy  which 
his  aunt  and  uncle  had  commenced,  and  did  his  utmost 
to  irritate  Herod  against  the  sons  of  Mariamne.  Being 
subsequently  sent  to  Rome,  he  wrote  frequent  letters  from 
thence  to  exasperate  the  king  and  awaken  his  fears,  and 
at  length  Herod  carried  the  two  brothers  to  Rome  to 
accuse  them  before  Csesar.  Augustus  heard  the  charge, 
but  the  eloquence  of  Alexander  moved  the  compassion  of 
the  emperor,  and  by  the  advice  of  the  latter  a  reconcilia- 
tion was  effected.  Herod  and  his  three  sons  then  re- 
turned home  together,  but  Salome  and  Antipater  were 
soon  enabled  to  persuade  the  king  that  Alexander  and 
Aristobulus  were  plotting  against  him,  and  he  sought  and 
obtained  permission  to  accuse  them  before  a  Roman  coun- 
cil at  Berytus.  The  Roman  governors  of  Syria,  the  mem- 
bers of  Herod's  family,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the 
chief  persons  of  Syria  now  assembled  together,  and  Herod 
appeared  before  them  and  accused  his  two  sons  with  all 
the  vehemence  of  a  bitter  enemy.  The  two  young  men, 
however,  could  only  be  proved  guilty  of  uttering  some 
reproachfld  speeches,  and  not  of  any  malice  or  conspiracy 
against  their  father.  Part  of  the  assembly  confirmed  to 
Herod  the  power  of  life  and  death  over  his  sons,  but  did 
not  consider  that  their  crimes  deserved  a  capital  punish- 
ment ;  but  the  majority  decreed  that  the  princes  deserved 
to  die ;  and,  though  Herod  did  not  innnediately  act  upon 
this  decision,  yet  learning  shortly  afterward  of  the  interest 
taken  by  the  people  in  the  fate  of  the  criminals,  he  became 
satisfied  of  their  guilt  and  ordered  them  to  be  executed. 

86.  Consjnracij  and  Trial  of  Anfijmter.  —  An- 
tipater  was  now  afraid  lest  Herod  should  discover  his  par- 
ticipation in  the  destruction  of  the  sons  of  Mariamne, 
and  accordingly  plotted  with  Pheroras,  the  brother  of 
Herod,  to  despatch  the  king  by  poison.  Antipater  then 
removed  to  Rome,  that  he  might  not  be  suspected  of 
taking  a  part  in  the  murder,  but  meantime  Pheroras  fell 
sick  and  died,  and  Herod,  being  informed  that  the  latter 
had  been  poisoned  by  his  wife,  set  on  foot  the  most  strict 
investigation,  and  at  length  discovered  the  plot  against 


328  CONNECTION   BETAVEEN   THE  b.  c.  37-4. 

himself.  Antipater  returned  without  suspecting  any  clan- 
ger, but  on  reaching  Sebaste  was  seized  and  brought  be- 
fore the  council.  His  guilt  was  distinctly  proved,  and  he 
was  condemned  and  thrown  into  prison,  and  an  embassy 
was  despatched  to  C^sar  to  request  his  final  decision  in 
the  matter. 

87.  Golden  Eagle  pulled  doivn  at  tTerusalem, — 
Whilst  the  embassy  was  at  Rome,  Herod  was  attacked 
"^y  a  violent  and  painful  disease.  Judas  and  Matthias, 
who  were  the  chief  among  the  teachers  of  the  law,  be- 
lieved that  he  could  never  recover,  and  induced  the  people 
to  throw  down  the  golden  eagle  which  Herod  had  erected 
over  the  temple  contrary  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  the 
Jewish  nation.  The  conspirators  were  seized,  and  though 
Herod  was  so  ill  that  he  could  not  sit  up,  yet  he  assembled 
his  council,  who  recommended  the  punishment  of  the 
ringleaders,  and  Herod  ordered  them  to  be  burned. 

88.  Herod's  Sickness  and  Cruelty, — Herod's  disease 
soon  increased  in  violence.  The  lower  parts  of  his  body 
ulcerated,  and  he  was  frequently  thrown  into  strong  con- 
vulsions. He  tried  the  warm  baths  of  Callirrhoe,  but 
without  deriving  any  benefit,  and  his  torments,  instead 
of  moving  him  to  repentance,  incited  him  to  fresh  cruel- 
ties. 

89.  Shuts  up  the  Principal  Jews  in  the  JELippo^ 
drome ;  Eocecution  of  Antipater, — Maddened  by  his 
agony,  Herod  shut  up  the  principal  Jews  in  the  hippo- 
drome at  Jericho,  and  gave  orders  that  they  should  be 
put  to  death  immediately  after  his  own  decease,  that 
mourners  might  not  be  wanting  at  his  funeral.*  At 
length  the  embassy  returned  from  Rome,  bringing  Csesar's 
permission  either  for  the  exile  or  execution  of  Antipater. 
Though  revived  for  a  moment  by  the  news,  Herod  was 
soon  again  distracted  by  his  torments,  and  endeavored  to 
commit  suicide.  An  alarm  spread  through  the  palace 
and  reached  the  ears  of  Antipater,  who  then  tried  to 
bribe  his  jailer  to  permit  his  escape,  but  the  man  com- 
municated the  proposal  to  Herod,  and  Antipater  was 
immediately  put  to  death. 

*  It  must  also  have  been  about  this  time  that  Herod  gave  orders  for 
the  murder  of  the  infants,  as  recorded  in  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  ii.  16-18. 


B.  c.  3r-4.  OLD   AND   NEW   TlESTAMENTS.  329 

90.  JDeath  of  Herod ;  Ms  Will,— On  the  fifth  day 
after  the  execution,  Herod  died,  having  reigned  thirty- 
four  years  from  the  death  of  Antigonus  and  thirty-seven 
years  fr'om  the  time  of  receiving  the  kingdom  from  the 
Koman  Triumvirate.  By  his  will  he  gave  the  kingdom 
of  Judaea  to  Archelaus ;  the  tetrarchy  of  Galilee  and 
Periea,  in  its  more  limited  sense  (sect.  79,  note),  to  An- 
tipas ;  Itursea,  Gaulonitis,  Trachonitis,  and  Batanea  to 
Philip;  and  a  large  sum  of  money,  with  the  cities  of 
Jamnia,  Azotus,  and  Phasaelis,  to  his  sister  Salome ;  be- 
sides handsome  estates  and  money  to  each  of  his  relations 
and  legacies  to  the  emperor  Augustus  and  his  wife  Julia. 
This  will  was  read  aloud  to  the  soldiers  amidst  loud  ac- 
clamations, and  Archelaus  was  proclaimed  king,  whilst 
the  Jewish  chiefs  were  released  from  their  previous  con- 
finement in  the  hippodrome. 

91.  Cliaracter  of  Herod. — The  character  of  Herod 
has  been  well  summed  up  by  Josephus.  He  was  univer- 
sally cruel  and  of  an  ungovernable  anger,  but,  though 
he  trampled  justice  under  foot,  he  was  always  a  favorite 
of  fortune.  From  a  private  station  he  rose  to  the  throne, 
escaped  a  thousand  dangers,  and  prolonged  his  life  to  the 
full  boundary  of  old  age.  In  his  own  family  he  appeared 
most  miserable,  but  in  himself  most  prosperous,  for  there 
was  not  one  of  his  enemies  whom  he  did  not  overcome. 


92.  "We  have  thus  brought  the  Old  Testament  History, 
a  period  of  probation  and  preparation,  to  its  natural  close. 
In  the  last  year  or  two  of  the  reign  of  Herod  the  Fore- 
runner appeared  and  Christ  was  born.  The  fulfilment 
of  the  Law  and  the  Prophets  in  the  person  of  the  Mes- 
siah, and  the  history  of  the  Jewish  nation  from  the  death 
of  Herod  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  are  included 
in  the  New  Testament  period,  to  which  the  author  has 
devoted  a  separate  volume. 


330  JEWISH  SECTS. 


JEWISH  SECTS. 

93.  Classification. — Several  religious  sects  appear  to 
have  sprung  up  amongst  the  Jews  during  the  government 
of  the  Asamonean  princes,  of  which  the  principal  were 
the  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  and  Essenes.  To  these  may 
be  added  the  Scribes,  Herodians,  Samaritans,  Gali- 
leans, and  SiCARii. 

94.  I,  The  FhariseeSf  originated  about  JB,  C,  135, 
— From  pharash,  "  separated  "  or  "  set  apart."  These 
were  the  most  numerous  and  distinguished  sect  amongst 
the  Jews,  and  were  instituted  in  the  reign  of  John  Hyr- 
canus  (p.  310),  b.  c.  135,  though  they  are  supposed  to 
have  first  appeared  soon  after  the  institution  of  the  Sad- 
ducees, B.  c.  250. 

95.  Tenets. — The  Pharisees  held  the  following  tenets : 
1.  The  existence  of  angels  and  spirits;  2.  The  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead ;  3.  Pre-existence  and  transmigration 
of  souls ;  and,  4.  The  eternal  happiness  of  the  Jews  in 
the  terrestrial  kingdom  of  the  Messiah,  which  they  de- 
rived from  the  merits  of  Abraham,  their  practice  of  cir- 
cumcision, their  offering  of  sacrifices,  and  their  know- 
ledge of  God. 

96.  Practices. — I.  The  Pharisees  were  most  Strict 
IN  their  Manners.  They  offered  up  long  prayers  in 
public  places,  sanctimoniously  repaired  the  sepulchres  of 
the  prophets,  considered  themselves  defiled  by  the  com- 
pany of  sinners,  and  compassed  sea  and  land  to  make 
Jewish  proselytes  of  the  Gentiles. 

II.  The  Pharisees  interpreted  Certain  of  the 
Mosaic  Laws  most  literally.  They  considered  the 
laws  of  retaliation  and  divorce,  which  Moses  had  toler- 
ated, to  be  morally  right ;  that  an  oath  was  not  binding 
unless  the  name  of  God  was  specified  in  it ;  and  that  it 
was  unlawful  to  pluck  ears  of  corn  or  heal  the  sick  on 
the  Sabbath. 

III.  The  Pharisees  reverently  Observed  the 
Traditions  or  Decrees  of  the  Elders.  They  punc- 
tiliously paid  tithes  in  temple-offerings,  even  of  the  most 


JEWISH   SECTS.  331 

trifling  thing ;  wore  broad  phylacteries  and  large  fringes 
to  their  garments ;  fasted  twice  a  week  with  great  auster- 
ity ;  purified  cups,  vessels,  and  couches  after  meals ;  and 
washed  their  hands  up  to  the  wrists  both  before  and  after 
meat. 

97.  II.  Sadducees,  originated  about  B,  C.  250. — 
Derived  their  name  from  Sadok,  pupil  of  Antigonus  So- 
chseus,  president  of  the  Sanhedrim,  b.  c.  250  (sect.  11). 
Sochseus  taught  that  man  ought  to  serve  God  disinter- 
estedly, and  not  from  fear  of  punishment  or  hope  of  re- 
ward. Sadok,  his  pupil,  inferred  from  this  that  there 
was  no  future  state  of  rewards  or  punishments.  The 
Sadducees,  or  followers  of  Sadok,  were  inconsiderable 
in  point  of  numbers,  but  of  the  first  distinction  and 
eminence. 

98.  Tenets. — The  Sadducees  believed — 1.  That  there 
was  no  resurrection,  neither  angel  nor  spirit;  2.  That 
there  was  no  fate  or  overruling  Providence ;  3.  That  no 
faith  was  to  be  placed  in  the  traditions,  but  that  the  let- 
ter of  Scripture  was  to  be  adhered  to  only,  and  the  five 
books  of  Moses  to  be  preferred. 

99.  III.  EsseneSf  originated  about  B.  C.  110. — 
These  are  not  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  though 
they  are  supposed  to  be  alluded  to  in  Matt.  xix.  12 ;  Col. 
ii.  18,  23.  They  were  divided  into  two  classes — viz.  1. 
The  Practical  Essenes,  who  lived  in  society,  and  even 
married,  though  with  much  circumspection;  2.  The  Con- 
templative Essenes,  also  called  Therapeutse,  or  Physicians, 
because  they  cured  the  diseases  of  the  soul.  These  devoted 
themselves  to  a  life  of  celibacy  and  meditation. 

100.  Tenets. — Both  classes  of  Essenes  were  exceedingly 
abstemious,  exemplary  in  their  moral  deportment,  averse 
to  profane  swearing,  and  rigid  in  the  observance  of  the 
Sabbath.  They  believed — 1.  That  the  soul  was  immortal, 
though  there  was  no  resurrection  of  the  body ;  2.  That 
there  was  a  state  of  future  rewards  and  punishments ; 
and,  3.  That  everything  was  ordered  by  an  eternal 
fatality  or  chain  of  causes. 

101.  Scribes  and  Lawyers. — These  generally  be- 
longed to  the  sect  of  Pharisees,  and  took  their  names 
from  their  employment,  which  at  first  was  transcribing 
the  Law,  but  they  subsequently  became  public  teachers 


332  THE   FOURTEEN   APOCRYPHAL   BOOKS. 

of  it,  and  were  consulted  in  all  difficult  points  of  doctrine 
or  duty.  Lawyers  and  Scribes  appear  to  be  synonymous 
terms,  but  Macknight  conjectures  the  Scribes  to  have 
been  the  public  expounders  of  the  Law,  whilst  the 
Lawyers  studied  it  in  private. 

102.  HerodianSf  Samaritans,  Galilceans,  and  Si- 
carii, — Several  other  sects  are  alluded  to  in  Scripture,  of 
whom  may  be  mentioned  the  following :  I.  The  Hero- 
DiANS,  who  were  a  political  faction  rather  than  a  religious 
sect,  and  derived  their  name  from  Herod  the  Great,  to 
whose  family  they  were  strongly  attached.  They  were 
distinguished  by  their  concurring  in  Herod's  plan  of  sub- 
jecting himself  and  the  country  to  the  Komans,  and  in  his 
heathen  practices.  II.  The  Samaritans,  of  whom  full 
mention  is  made  in  sect.  507.  III.  Galileans  and 
Zealots,  who  were  followers  of  that  Judas  the  Gali- 
Isean  who  persuaded  the  people  to  refuse  to  pay  tribute 
to  Kome,  because  it  was  due  to  God  alone.  Acts  v.  37. 
IV.  The  Sicarii,  or  Assassins.  Acts  xxi.  38. 


THE 

FOURTEEN  APOCRYPHAL  BOOKS. 

103.  1  Esdras,  or  Ezra, — This  is  only  extant  in 
Greek.  It  contains  an  account  of  the  celebration  of  the 
passover  in  the  reign  of  Josiah ;  the  story  of  the  three 
competitors  for  the  favor  of  Darius ;  and  the  history  of 
the  return  of  the  Jews  from  their  Babylonian  captivity, 
the  building  of  the  temple,  and  re-establishment  of  divine 
worship.  It  is  full  of  improbabilities  and  contradictions, 
defies  the  Scripture  narrative  and  all  chronological  order, 
but  contains  nothing  exceptionable  in  doctrine  or  precept. 

104.  2  Esdras. — This  is  only  extant  in  Latin,  and 
its  author  is  unknown.  It  contains  a  series  of  pretended 
revelations  and  predictions  concerning  the  restoration  of 
Jerusalem,  character  of  the  Messiah,  etc.,  and  abounds 
with  absurd  rabbinical  tales  and  fables. 


THE   FOURTEEN   APOCRYPHAL   BOOKS.  333 

105.  To6««.— Professes  to  relate  the  history  of  Tobit 
and  his  family,  who  were  carried  into  captivity  to  Nine- 
veh by  Shalmaneser  (sect.  505)  ;  it  contains,  however,  so 
many  rabbinical  fables  and  allusions  to  Babylonian  de- 
monology  that  it  has  been  looked  upon  as  an  amusmg 
fiction  inculcating  pious  and  moral  lessons. 

106.  Judith, — Originally  written  in  Chaldee  and  trans- 
lated into  Latin.  It  professes  to  relate  the  defeat  of  the 
Assyrians  through  the  instrumentality  of  Judith,  who 
beheaded  their  general  Holofernes,  but  in  consequence 
of  its  numerous  geographical,  historical,  and  chrono- 
logical difficulties  it  has  been  considered  rather  as  a 
drama  or  parable. 

107.  Hest  of  the  CJiapters  of  the  Booh  of  Esther,— 
These  are  seven  in  number,  and  were  written  by  some  Hel- 
lenistic Jew.  Both  Jerome  and  Grotius  consider  them  to 
be  pure  fiction. 

108.  Wisdom  of  Solomon.— Commonly  ascribed  to 
Solomon,  though  the  style  is  not  like  him,  and  it  was 
never  extant  in  Hebrew.  It  contains— first,  an  enco- 
mium on  Wisdom,  and  then  a  series  of  reflections  on 
the  early  history  of  the  Jews  and  their  subsequent 
proneness  to  idolatry. 

109.  Ecclesiastieus,  or  Wisdom  of  Jesus  the  Son  of 
Sirach.— This  book  has  been  ascribed  to  Solomon,  but 
the  style  and  other  internal  evidence  disprove  the  sup- 
position. It  was  written  in  Hebrew— or  rather  in  Syro- 
Chaldee— by  Jesus  son  of  Sirach,  who  appears  to  have 
travelled  in  pursuit  of  knowledge,  and,  being  thoroughly 
versed  in  the  Scriptures,  had  blended  many  thmgs  from 
the  prophets  with  the  sentences  ascribed  to  Solomon  and 
the  result  of  his  own  observation.  This  was  subsequent- 
ly translated  into  Greek  for  the  use  of  the  Alexandrian 
Jews  by  his  grandson,  who  seems  to  have  been  also 
named  Jesus,  and  to  have  been  the  son  of  another  Si- 
rach. The  book  has  been  held  in  general  and  deserved 
esteem  by  the  Western  Church,  and  was  introduced  into 
the  public  service  by  the  venerable  Keformers  and  com- 
pilers of  the  English  Liturgy.  _ 

110.  Book  of  BarucJi,— The  author  and  original  lan- 
o-uage  of  this  book  are  uncertain,  and  it  is  only  extant  m 
Greek  and  Syriac.     The  principal  subject  of  the  book  is 


334  THE   FOURTEEN   APOCRYPHAL   BOOKS. 

an  epistle  pretended  to  be  sent  by  Jehoiakim  and  the 
captive  Jews  in  Babylon  to  their  brethren  in  Judah 
and  Jerusalem. 

111.  Song  of  the  Three  Children. — This  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  ever  extant  in  Hebrew,  and  though 
it  has  always  been  admired  for  the  piety  of  its  sentiments, 
yet  it  was  never  admitted  to  be  canonical  until  recognized 
by  the  Council  of  Trent. 

112.  History  of  Susanna, — This  is  evidently  the 
work  of  some  Hellenistic  Jew,  and  is  considered  by 
some  modern  critics  to  be  both  spurious  and  fabulous. 

113.  Bel  and  the  Dragon. — This  is  not  extant  either 
in  Hebrew  or  Chaldee,  and  was  always  rejected  by  the 
Jewish  Church,  and,  indeed,  obtained  little  credit  until 
admitted  to  be  canonical  by  the  Council  of  Trent.  The 
author  designed  to  make  idolatry  ridiculous,  but  he  trans- 
ported to  Babylon  the  worship  of  animals,  which  was 
never  practised  there. 

114.  Prayer  of  Manasses. — Said  to  have  been  com- 
posed by  that  monarch  during  his  captivity,  but,  though 
not  unworthy  of  the  occasion,  it  has  been  rejected  as  spu- 
rious even  by  the  Church  of  Rome. 

115.  1  and  2  Maccabees. — These  books  are  so 
called  because  they  relate  the  patriotic  and  gallant  ex- 
ploits of  Judas  Maccabseus  and  his  brethren,  and  are 
both  admitted  to  be  canonical  by  the  Romish  Church. 

116.  Book  I.  relates  the  history  of  the  Jews  from  the 
beginning  of  the  reign  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes  to  the 
death  of  Simon,  and  it  was  probably  written  in  the  reign 
of  John  Hyrcanus,  either  by  himself  or  under  his  super- 
intendence.    It  is  a  most  valuable  historical  monument. 

117.  Book  II.  is  very  inferior  to  Book  I.,  and  is  a  com- 
pilation from  various  histories  by  an  unknown  author,  and 
must  therefore  be  read  with  caution.  It  contains  the  his- 
tory of  about  fifteen  years — viz.  from  the  sending  of  He- 
liodorus  by  Seleucus  to  plunder  the  temple  to  the  defeat 
of  Nicanor  by  Judas  Maccabseus. 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS, 


INCLUDING  THE 


CAMBRIDGE  EXAMINATION-PAPERS  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY 
FOR  VARIOUS  YEARS,  IN  CHRONOLOGICAL  ORDER. 

[The  figures  at  the  end  of  each  Question  refer  to  the  sections,  or  pages  where  marlsed  p.,  where 
the  Answer  may  be  found.] 

Give  the  derivation  of  the  word  Pentateuch  (p.  35). 

Give  the  derivation  of  Genesis  (p.  35). 

How  many  years  does  tlie  histoiy  of  this  book  occupy  ?  (p.  35.) 

What  are  the  principal  events  recorded  in  Genesis  ?  (p.  35.) 

State  in  order  the  work  of  each  of  the  six  days  occupied  by  God 
in  the  creation.  Sect.  1. 

Wliat  were  the  words  of  God  immediately  before  creating 
man?  2. 

Explain  these  words,  and  say  how  far  they  lead  us  to  imagine  a 
plurality  of  Persons  to  have  been  engaged  in  the  creation  of  the 
world.  2. 

What  blessing  did  God  pronounce  on  man  after  his  creation  ?  3. 

By  what  rivers  was  the  garden  of  Eden  watered  ?  4. 

Of  what  were  the  ordinances  of  the  Sabbath  and  of  marriage 
typical  ?  4,  note. 

Relate  the  circumstances  connected  with  the  fall  of  our  first 
parents.  5. 

What  curse  did  God  pronounce  on  the  serpent  ?  $i 

Can  you  trace  here  the  promise  of  a  Redeemer  ?  6. 

Describe  the  events  connected  with  the  murder  of  Abel.  7. 

Give  the  names  of  the  heads  of  families  mentioned  as  the  pos-' 
terity  of  Cain.  8. 

To  whom  is  the  invention  of  musical  instruments  ascribed?  8. 

State  the  posterity  of  Adam  through  Seth.  9. 

Who  was  the  father  of  Enoch  ?  9. 

What  was  his  end?  9. 

What  is  said  of  Enoch  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament  ?  9. 

For  what  is  Methuselah  noted  ?  9. 

What  circumstances  led  to  the  building  of  the  ark  ?  10. 

Of  whom  was  Noah  the  son  ?  9. 

From  which  of  Adam's  sons  was  he  descended  ?  9. 

Who  was  the  father  of  the  Canaanites?  15. 

Give  the  date  of  the  Deluge.  11.  "'-  '  '\1  ,    -, 

How  long  did  Noah  live  after  it  ?  12.    ^^  ^' 

What  allusion  is  made  to  Noah  in  St.  Peter's  Epistles?  10. 

What  curse  was  pronounced  by  Noah  on  Ham,  and  what  bless- 
ing on  Shem  and  Japheth  respectively?  and  on  what  occasion?  12. 

335 


336  EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  promise  given  to  Japheth,  "he  shall 
dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem "  ?  14.  '      ^       A   (m^ 

From  which  of  the  three  were  the  Jews  descended  ?  16.      'j'^'^*'^^,  4**^ 

What  other  parts  of  the  globe  were  peopled  by  his  posterity? 
14-16. 

What  portions  of  the  world  were  peopled  by  the  descendants  of 
Japheth,  and  what  by  those  of  Ham  ?  14-16. 

What  blessing  or  promise  did  God  make  to  Noah  after  the  Flood, 
and  by  what  token  was  the  promise  confirmed?  11. 

Of  what  is  Noah's  ark  a  tj^pe  or  figure?  79. 

"  Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed." 
On  what  occasion  were  these  words  fii-st  pronounced?  11. 

When  was  man  forbidden  to  eat  flesh  ?  and  under  what  restric- 
tion? 11.  ,.    ckaSAiLA 

Where  was  the  tower  of  Babel  built?  17. 

What  does  the  name  signify  ?  17. 

What  were  the  objects  for  which  the  tower  of  Babel  was  built? 
17. 

Wherein  did  the  sin  of  those  engaged  in  building  it  consist  ?  17.         "^ 

How  was  that  sin  visited  ?  17.  .>■-;'•'/  .'^.fc-uw-'/v^v  ,  .-'■ 

Relate  the  circumstances  which  led  to  the  confusion  of  tongues 
at  Babel.  17. 

What  city  was  afterward  built  upon  or  near  the  site  of  Babel  ? 
17. 

What  promises  did  God  make  to  Abraham  ?  and  on  what  occa- 
sions were  they  renewed?  20,  21,  26,  28,  29. 

Name  the  generations  from  Noah  to  Abram.  18. 

Give  the  probable  date  of  the  birth  of  Abram.  19. 
\.        How  many  children  had  Haran  ?  and  who  were  they?  19. 

What  was   the  religion  of  Abraham's  father,  and  probably  his 
own  ?  20. 

Was  Abraham  always  called  "  father  of  the  faithful "  ?  42. 

What  rite  did  God  ordain  at  this  time?  29.    ,.•  '  - 

What  was  the  distinguishing  feature  of  Abraham's  character? 
42.    '•  ■,    '•    _ 

Illustrate  it  by  incidents  of  his  life.  20,  36. 

What  command  did  Abram  receive  from  God  at  Ur?  20. 

What  peculiar  appellations  did  the  patriarch  Abraham  receive  ? 
28. 

What  were  the  three  distinct  acts  of  great  faith  for  which  he 
became  so  eminently  distinguished?  42. 

To  which  of  these  in  particular  is  reference  made  when  it  is  said 
that  "his  faith  was  imputed  to  him  for  rigliteousness " ?  42. 

What  was  the  native  place  of  Abraham  ?  20,  note. 

State  where  Abraham  was  living  before  his  call,  the  relationship 
between  him  and  Lot,  and  the  date  of  his  call.  20. 

When  was  his  name  changed  from  "  Abram  "  to  "  Abraham," 
and  what  is  the  signification  of  the  latter?  29. 

Why  is  he  called  the  "  father  of  the  faithful "  ?  28. 

Who  was  Melchizedek  ?  24. 


EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS. 


337 


How  is  he  described  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  ?  25. 

Where  and  on  what  occasion,  did  Abraham  meet  with  him?  24. 

State  what  is  recorded  to  have  taken  place  during  the  inter- 
view. 24.  .  ,      „  «4  ~" 

Which  is  the  first  mention  of  tithes?  24.     '        ^,,     ,  ^o 

Give  an  account  of  the  subsequent  movements  of  Abraham    dJ. 

By  what  different  races  was  Canaan  at  this  time  peopled?  ^.  ^^ 

For  how  long  a  time  did  God  say  that  his  seed  should  be  afflict- 
ed? 26.  .:-     '        ^  .      ,  A  A-      i 

At  what  time  must  this  affliction  have  commenced,  according  to 

chronology?  26.  ~  ^ 

Show  how  the  promises  made  to  him  were  tumilea.  Z9. 

Who  was  the  child  of  promise  ?  28. 

How  may  Isaac  be  called  a  type  of  Christ?  36,  note.  .,,S*>'^ ^  - 

What  is  the  meaning  of  a  type?  78..  ^  \  --;       •  \;    /  \  ^  *-*^ 

State  the  different  particular  which  we  gather  from  Scripture  ot 
the  history  of  Lot.  20,  22,  24,  31.  •     <>  io 

What  is  the  earliest  account  given  of  making  wme !  IZ. 

The  earliest  mention  of  money  ?  32. 

State  the  circumstances  attending  the  birth  of  Ishmael.  Z/. 

"  And  he  will  be  a  wild  man ;  his  hand  will  be  against  every 
man,  and  every  man's  hand  against  him."  Of  whom  was  this 
said?  27.    -  . 

How  has  the  prediction  been  fulfilled?  34.   , 

What  circumstances  are  connected  with  the  destruction  ol  bocl- 

^™Why  was  Ishmael  cast  forth  from  Abraham's  family  ?  34. 

What  remarkable  deliverance  did  he  experience  immediately 
after  his  ejection  ?  34. 

What  nation  descended  from  him?  34.  .    ,  „  o-r 

When  did  Sarah  die?  and  where  was  she  buried  .'  67. 

Eelate  the  circumstances  attendant  on  the  marriage  of  Isaac.  3«. 

Who  was  Abraham's  second  wife?  and  what  nation  was  descend- 
ed from  one  of  his  sons  by  her  ?  39.  ,  „  „   .^ 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word     Jacob    .'  4U.  .,,., 

In  what  year  did  Abraham  die?  and  where  was  he  buried?  41. 

Belate  the  deception  practised  by  Jacob  upon  his  father  Isaac.  4b. 

What  were  the  consequences  to  which  it  led,  and  under  what 
circumstances  did  the  brothers,  Esau  and  Jacob,  meet  after  their        ^ 

^^  Gi'^^eTbrief  sketch*  of  the  life  of  Isaac.     (See  Index,  Isaac,  33, 

36,  38,  40,  46.) 

Who  was  his  mother?  30,  33. 

In  what  way  was  Jacob  deceived  by  his  sons?  bl.  ,    .,   „ 

Give  an  account  of  the  life  of  Esau.    Who  were  his  posterity? 

40,  43,  45,  46,  48.  ^      , ,      .  .        ,  t,  ,u  a    at 

Eelate  the  circumstances  of  Jacob's  vision  at  iJethel.  4/. 

What  was  his  vow  ?  47.  -r.    ,    , «  ew  ^  ^-<^  d  fv^jisA' 

What  did  God  afterward  say  to  Jacob  at  Bethel?  57. ^-^--^2-^'^  I  Q^ 
Explain  the  meaning  of  the  terra  "  Israel."  54. 


29 


W 


33S  EXAMINATION    QUESTIONS. 

Where  and  how  did  Jacob  obtain  that  name  ?  54. 

What  was  the  occasion  of  his  fear  and  distress  at  the  time  ?  53. 

How  was  his  prayer  answered  ?  55. 

Give  a  brief  account  of  the  history  of  Jacob.    (See  Index,  Jacob.) 

Give  the  names  of  the  family  of  Jacob  by  his  two  wives.  50. 

What  prediction  did  he  utter  on  his  deathbed  respecting  Levi  ? 
and  how  Avas  it  fulfilled?  72. 

What  were  his  prophecies  with  reference  to  his  other  children  ? 
72. 

Show  briefly  how  these  prophecies  were  fulfilled.  73.  ,^  .  ... 

At  what  age  did  he  die?  and  where  was  he  buried?  74. ) '/  '   ' 

AVhat  were  the  circumstances  under  which  Joseph  was  sold  into 
Egypt?  and  by  what  steps  did  he  attain  to  the  ofiice  which  he  ulti- 
mately held?  61,  64,  65. 

Kelate  the  dreams  of  Pharaoh  which  led  to  Joseph's  release 
from  prison.   65. 

How  did  Joseph  interpret  these  dreams  ?  and  what  was  his  con- 
sequent promotion?  65,  66. 

Eelate  the  principal  events  in  the  life  of  Joseph.  (See  Index, 
Joseph.) 

How  is  Joseph  a  type  of  Christ?  77. 

What  first  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt?  69. 

What  proportion  of  the  produce  of  land  in  Egypt  in  the  time  of 
Joseph  was  the  king  entitled  to?  65.  '    '^  _       iji^^ 

By  whom  was  the  law  fixing  the  proportion  first  established  ?  65.  -^    ' 

Sum  up  the  typical  intimations  and  prophecies  of  a  Saviour  to  be 
found  in  the  book  of  Genesis.  79. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  "  Exodus  "  ?  p.  68. 

State  the  circumstances  attendant  on  the  birth  of  Moses  and  his 
preservation.   81,  82.  ^ 

W^hat  is  the  meaning  of  his  name?  82. 

Kelate  the  circumstances  of  his  flight  into  Midian  and  of  his 
call  by  God  at  Horeb.   83,  84. 

By  what  name  did  God  make  himself  known  to  him  ?  84. 

Where  did  he  meet  with  Aaron  ?  85.  ■ 

How  did  Pharaoh  entertain  their  demand?  86.  ,  ,     .^  v*  ■ 

What  length  of  time  were  the  Israelites  in  Egypt?  100.  2-  '  '^    " 

Give  a  brief  account  of  their  condition  during  the  closing  years 
of  their  residence  there.  81. 

By  what  signs  was  he  ordered  to  convince  the  Israelites  that  he 
was  sent  by  God.   85.  ■'"•-'■'ci  . 

Name  the  plagues  of  Egypt.  88-96,  98. 

What  institution  commemorated  the  last  of  them  ?  99. 

What  were  the  circumstances  of  the  institution  of  the  feast  of 
the  passover?  97. 

Was  it  known  by  any  other  name  ?  99. 

What  answers  to  it  under  the  Christian  dispensation  ?  196. 

What  persons  were  excluded  from  the  observance  of  it?  97. 

Give  a  brief  account  of  the  ceremonies  to  be  observed  in  the 
celebration  of  it.  97. 


EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS.  839 

Of  what  was  the  paschal  lamb  a  type?  152.^X  '>'-'^-  f^'^^^'^'''  "^  "1' 

In  what  year  did  the  Israelites  leave  Egypt?  100.  r  ;  -j~ 

How  were  they  led,  and  where  did  they  encamp?  100.  ;,t>W<?^)^^**^^ 

How  was  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea  effected?  101. 

What  was  the  fate  of  their  enemies?   101. 

Trace  their  wanderings  to  Sin.  102. 

By  what  means  were  the  children  of  Israel  fed  during  their 
travels  in  the  barren  wilderness?  102. 

And  what  peculiarity  attended  the  supply  of  their  food?  103. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  "manna"  ?  103. 

What  circumstances  occurred  in  their  journey  to  Eepliidim  ? 
104. 

With  what  enemy  was  Joshua  here  engaged  ?  and  what  was  the 
result  of  the  battle?  105. 

By  whom  was  Moses  visited  ?  and  what  measures  did  he  adopt 
in  consequence  of  the  advice  given  him?  106. 

Where  did  the  Israelites  encamp  in  the  third  month  of  the 
Exodus?  107. 

Enumerate  the  different  miracles  which  were  wrought  on  behalf 
of  the  children  of  Israel  from  the  time  of  their  departure  from 
Egypt  until  they  came  into  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  and  show  what 
some  of  those  miracles  typified.  101,  102,  104,  152. 

State  the  circumstances  attending  the  promulgation  of  the  moral, 
civil,  and  ceremonial  law,  108,  109. 

During  the  absence  of  Moses  what  crime  did  the  Israelites  com- 
mit? 110.  .  ^    _  ^^^^ 

What  were  the  consequences  of  their  idolatry  ?  110. 

What  circumstances  attended  Moses'  second  abode  on  Mount 
Sinai?  111. 

What  building  was  afterward  raised  ?  and  who  were  consecrated 
priests?  111.  ..  "■-    ,     ■'."  ^  •  ,• 

In  what  commandments  and  precepts  were  the  Jews  warned 
against  false  prophets,  divination,  etc.?  112. 

When  is  the  Sabbath  first  mentioned  in  the  history  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  ?  114. 

Is  it  then  spoken  of  as  a  new  appointment  for  the  first  time 
made,  or  as  an  institution  already  existing?  114.   a 

W^hen  was  it  first  instituted  ?  1. 

How  does  the  reason  assigned  in  the  fourth  commandment  for 
its  observation  show  its  universal  obligation?  114. 

What  was  the  object  of  the  cities  of  refuge?  116. 

How  many  of  them  were  there?  116. 

Under  what  limitations  were  they  available  ?  116. 

What  law  of  sale  existed  among  the  Jews?  126. 

What  were  the  laws  of  usury?  of  pledges?  of  heirship?  127, 
128. 

Mention  some  of  the  miscellaneous  precepts  regarding  covetous- 
ness.  130. 

What  was  the  law  respecting  slavery  ?  132. 

What  was  the  condition  of  the  slaves  ?  132. 


340  EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS. 

From  wliat  funds  was  the  tabernacle  built?  139. 

Give  a  description  of  its  external  form.  139. 

What  was  the  Holy  of  Holies  ?  140. 

Who  was  privileged  to  enter  into  it?  and  when?  153. 

What  were  the  contents  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant?  144. 

What  was  the  ark  of  the  covenant  ?  144. 

Where  was  it  placed  ?  144. 

What  was  its  fate  at  different  periods  ?  and  where  was  it  ulti- 
mately deposited  ?  144,  note. 

Where  was  the  altar  of  incense  placed  ?  141. 

What  other  furniture  had  the  Most  Holy  Place  besides  the  ark  ? 
145,  146.    ' 

What  was  the  Shechinah?  147. 

Describe  the  court  of  the  tabernacle.  148. 

What  was  its  furniture?  149,  150. 

When  was  the  tabernacle  completed?  151. 

What  typical  intimations  do  you  find  of  the  Messiah  in  Exodus? 
152. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  "  Leviticus  "  ?  p.  95. 

To  what  family  amongst  the  Israelites  was  the  priesthood  appro- 
priated ?  154. 

Into  how  many  classes  were  the  priests  divided  ?  and  by  whom  ? 
156,  note. 

Who  and  what  were  the  Nazarites?  201. 

Describe  the  sacerdotal  orders.  153. 

What  provision  was  made  for  the  tribe  of  Levi  ?  164. 

What  were  the  ofiice  and  the  robes  of  the  high  priest?  157. 

What  was  his  typical  character  ?  158. 

What  were  the  duties  and  the  livelihood  of  the  Levites?  164. 

Who  were  the  Nethinim  ?  165. 

How  were  the  Jewish  offerings  classified?  167. 

What  species  of  animals  might  be  sacrificed?  and  how  were  the 
victims  selected?  168. 

What  were  the  burnt-offerings  ?  169. 

What  were  the  peace-offerings  ?  170. 

What  were  the  sin-offerings  ?  171. 

What  was  the  sin-offering  for  the  priest?  172. 

What  other  distinctions  of  persons  were  there  with  reference  to 
this  offering?  173-175. 

What  was  the  trespass-offering?  176. 

What  was  the  typical  character  of  the  Levitical  sacrifices? 
177. 

How  many  kinds  of  oblations  were  there?  178-180. 

What  were  the  ordinary  oblations?  178. 

What  were  the  free  oblations?  179. 

What  were  the  prescribed  oblations?  180. 

What  was  the  law  regarding  first-fruits  and  firstlings?   181,  182. 

What  were  the  regulations  with  regard  to  tithes  ?  183. 

What  were  the  meat-  and  drink-ofierings  ?  184,  185. 

How  many  kinds  of  national  sacrifices  were  there  ?  186. 


EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS.  341 

Give  a  classification  of  the  annual  festivals  instituted  by  Moses. 
187. 

What  were  the  three  principal  feasts  ?  and  what  was  the  design 
of  the  institution  of  each  of  them  ?  188-190. 

What  was  their  typical  meaning?  196. 

What  was  the  reason  of  the  feast  of  Pentecost?  and  when  did  it 
take  place?  189.  ,  .i^    Hoih.1.W^;  l*"-*^ 

By  what  other  names  was  it  designated?  189.  "  '  * 

With  what  event  in  subsequent  times  do  we  find  it  connected  ? 
189 

To  what  festival  does  it  correspond  in  the  Church  of  England  ? 
189.    '        \..       .        •  . 

How  many  times  in  the  year  were  the  males  of  the  children  of 
Israel  bound  to  appear  before  the  Lord  ?  and  on  what  occasions  ? 
187. 

What  was  the  sabbatical  year  ?  194. 

Give  a  short  account  of  the  sabbatical  year  and  of  the  year  of 
jubilee.  194,  195. 

What  was  the  latter  a  type  of  ?  196. 

What  was  the  scape-goat  ?  192. 

Describe  the  ceremonies  connected  with  it.  192. 

On  what  day  did  they  take  place  ?  192. 

What  other  circumstances  were  peculiar  to  this  day  ?  192. 

What  was  its  typical  meaning  ?  196. 

Sum  up  the  typical  intimations  generally  of  the  Messiah  to  be 
found  in  these  festivals.  196. 

Classify  the  vows  prevalent  among  the  Jews.  199. 

How  many  kinds  of  Nazarites  were  there?  201. 

To  which  class  did  John  the  Baptist  belong  ?  201.  ^  ^^j^jJUji^^^^a^ 

What  was  the  Cherem  ?  202.     ->  ,  ... 

How  many  kinds  of  purification  were  there  ?  203. 

What  were  the  laws  with  reference  to  leprosy  ?  207. 

What  typical  intimations  besides  those  already  referred  to  do  we 
find  in  Leviticus?  169,  note. 

Why  is  the  book  of  Numbers  so  styled?  p.  120.  aJ    j9 

How  long  did  the  children  of  Israel  tarry  at  Mount  Sinai?  215.  //^V-^^  ' 

What  detained  them  there?  215.  ^  P 

What  sign  was  given  for  their  departure?  216.  ^  ^ '•'r'  ^*v  r«.t^ 

What  was  the  direction  of  their  course  from  thence  as  far  as 
Kadesh?  217,218,220,221. 

When  did  they  begin  to  wander  in  the  wilderness  ?  and  what 
was  the  cause  of  their  wandering  ?  222.  , 

Where  did  Kadesh-barnea  lie?  221.  ..'■ 

What  miracle  was  performed  there  for  the  children  of  Israel  ? 
225. 

Where  had  a  similar  miracle  been  wrought  for  them  before?  104.  -r ' 

What  sin  did  Moses  commit  in  connection  with  the  miracle  of    . , 
Kadesh?  225.  .  i;  •^  ^i   ,  ^  ■■  .  -  oua  -^-^  r- 

And  how  was  he  visited  for  it?  225.  .X\a  ,^Ar^  t^  j^.v-v,-^«jj.^    r^ 

What  were  the  names  of  the  two  faithful  spies  ?  222.  ^^  (]  ,  'M 

29  *  ^  ^ 


342  EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS. 

How  did  Caleb  and  Joshna  first  distinguish  themselves?  222. 

Wliere  were  the  bones  of  Joseph  finally  deposited  ?  267. 

Give  the  history  of  the  rebellion  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram. 
223. 

What  was  the  result  of  it?  223. 

Explain  the  allusion  of  St.  Jude.  223.  -  t>.^  ,\(>6*«*^ 

"What  is  meant  by  "  Aaron's  rod  that  budded  "  ?    Give  an  account 
of  the  rebellion  which  preceded  this  miracle.  224. 

WhodiedatKadesh?  225.  ^ 

Why  were  the  Israelites  compelled  to  take  a  circuitous  route  on 
leaving  Kadesh?  226.    i 

When  did  Aaron  die  ?  and  who  succeeded  "him  in  the  priest- 
hood? 226. 

In  what  contest  were  the  Israelites  now  engaged  ?  and  with  what 
success?  227,  '  •  '        ^  '     '^*  \     [Wy.-.^^ 

What  course  did  they  take  from  Her?  228.   A^  ^o  ^vvM^^^ 

For  what  crime  were  they  punished  during  their  journey  ?  and 
what  was  the  mode  of  punishment  ?  228. 

How  were  they  relieved  ?  228. 

Of  what  was  the  lifting  up  of  the  serpent  typical?  238.  a       [fA  ■■ 

What  afterward  became  of  it?  228.  ) '       ^  y  JM  ^  ^  ' 

What  reception  did  the  Israelites  meet  with  from  Sihon  and  Og? 
229. 

What  was  the  result?  229. 

What  portion  of  the  country  now  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Israel-    , 
ites?  229./  .■•     -      ^"  ' '     :  ■      ~  '        ^      '   "  ^^ 

Give  a  brief  account  of  Balaam's  interview  with  the  king  of 
Moab.  230. 

What  advice  did  he  give  Balak  when  not  allowed  to  curse  Israel  ? 
230. 

What  was  his  end  ?  232.    - 

Quote  his  prophecy  of  the  Star  of  Jacob.  230. 

Reconcile  his  being  the  son  of  Bosor.  232,  note. 

By  what  rivers  were  the  Israelites  now  separated  from  Canaan? 
233. 

On  the  review  of  the  whole  of  the  Israelites,  who  only  were  found 
belonging  to  the  old  generation  ?  233. 

Compare  this  with  the  former  census.  234. 

Which  of  the  tribes  of  Israel  received  their  inheritance  on  the 
east  side  of  Jordan  ?  235.  (  ^  ■\j.^-9*'  ^  ^ '  ""^ 

On  what  conditions  were  they  allowed  to  do  so?  235.  '  -  <xA^>_A.A  ttos  5^ 

To  what  unknown  book  is  allusion  made  in  Numbers?  and  what,  ^     ^ «     » 
different  opinions  are  entertained  with  regard  to  it?  237.   . .  '^  J^P^ 

What  typical  and  prophetical  intimations  of  the  Messiah  can 
you  find  in  Numbers?  238.  -    ■  .^^}/^  ^^^ 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  "Deuteronomy"?  p.  130. 

Relate  the  events  connected  with  the  death  of  Moses.  239. 

How  long  were  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  ?  and  from  what 
point  did  Moses  see  the  Promised  Land  ?  239. 

At  what  age  did  he  die?  239.  i   , 


EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS.  343 

Of  whom  was  he  the  son  ?  240.  /^''  '     y^^^^^^^ 

What  relation  was  he  to  Aaron  ?  85. 

What  part  of  the  Pentateuch  was  probably  not  written  by  hira? 
242. 

Give  a  brief  review  of  his  life  and  character.  240. 

What  prophecies  with  reference  to  the  Messiah  do  you  find  in 
Deuteronomy?  241.  l^  .        ,   /- 

Where  in  the  New  Testament  do  you  find  one  of  these  prophecies 
especially  applied?  241.  [^  -  \       :   ^         .    '■   [    'f  \  > 

What  number  of  years  does  the  book  of  Joshua  occupy?  p.  136. ' 

What  circumstances  are  here  related  relative  to  the  previous  life 
of  Joshua?  252. ^ 

Give  a  summary  of  the  contents  of  the  book  of  Joshua,  p.  136. 

Give  an  account  in  detail  of  the  conquest  of  Palestine  bv  Joshua 
253,  254,  256-261. 

Who  concealed  the  spies  sent  by  Joshua  ?  where  were  they  hid- 
den ?  and  by  what  token  was  the  house  to  be  known  when  the  city 
was  taken  ?  253. 

Through  what  river,  and  opposite  to  what  city,  did  the  Israelites 
enter  Canaan  ?  254. 

Describe  the  passage  of  the  Israelites  over  Jordan.  254. 

By  what  means  was  Jericho  taken  ?  255. 

What  was  the  name  of  Jerusalem  before  its  occupation  by  the 
Israelites?  326.  >    .  v  ^ 

Where  was  Gilgal  ?  254. 

Give  an  account  of  the  twelve  stones  set  up  there.  254. 

By  what  device  did  the  Gibeonites  save  themselves  from  destruc- 
tion? 258. 

What  conditions  were  imposed  upon  them  by  Joshua  ?  258. 

By  whom  were  their  rights  afterward  invaded?  259. 

How  far  did  the  Promised  Land  extend  to  the  north  and  to  the 
south  ?  Introd.  23. 

To  what  limits  in  these  directions  did  the  Jews  under  the  .Judges 
gain  possession  of  it  ?  Introd.  23. 

What  remnants  of  the  old  inhabitants  were  left  to  dwell  within 
those  limits?  261. 

How  did  these  remnants  afterward  affect  the  children  of  Israel  ? 
271. 

How  does  Joshua  confirm  his  own  account  of  the  miracles  at 
Gibeon?  259,  wo<e.^'^       ^C  c 

Where  was  the  tabernacle  constructed  ?  215. 

Where  was  it  first  set  up  in  the  Land  of  Promise?  144,  note. 

What  was  the  supposed  age  of  Joshua  at  his  death?  What 
other  celebrated  men  died  about  the  same  time?  and  where  were 
they  each  buried?  267. 

What  is  known  of  the  "book  of  Jasher" ?  269. 

By  whom  is  the  book  of  Judges  supposed  to  be  written  ?  p.  145. 

What  period  of  time  is  included  in  it?  p.  145. 

In  what  way  have  its  chronological  diflicult'es  been  explained  ? 
p.  145. 


844  EXAMINATION    QUESTIONS. 

What  was  the  number  of  the  judges?  15. 

Mention  some  of  the  most  remarkable  of  them.  15. 

When  was  the  office  abolished  ?  303. 

What  steps  were  taken  to  follow  up  the  conquest  of  Canaan  after 
the  death  of  Joshua?  270. 

What  circumstances  occasioned  a  relapse  of  the  Israelites  into 
idolatry?  270,  271. 

What  idols  did  they  now  worship?  271. 

State  the  circumstances  attending  the  idolatry  of  Micah.  272. 

What  tragedy  now  took  place  in  the  couijtry  of  Benjamin?  273. 

Who  were  the  Philistines?  277,  note,  .'■'i^fv^'^^  ga^^ii,iA^ o,.^^^  . 

What  did  Shamgar  do  ?  277.  *  ' 

Give  a  short  account  of  Deborah  and  Barak.  277. 

"  Blessed  above  women  shall  Jael  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite 
be!"  On  what  occasion  was  this  blessing  pronounced  on  Jael? 
277. 

Who  was  Gideon?  280. 

By  what  token  was  Gideon  assured  of  God's  assistance  against 
theMidianites?  280. 

What  means  did  he  employ  in  selecting  his  army,  and  what  was 
the  result  of  his  attack  upon  the  Midianites?  281. 

By  what  other  name  was  Gideon  known,  and  on  what  occasion  t  i 

was  that  name  conferred  on  him?  280.  ;  "  ■"  **       ■•''•/  ^^^^,  (^ 

What  occurred  to  Oreb,  Zeeb,  Zebah,  and  Zalmunna?  281.  0  '"'^ 

Where  do  we  find  the  earliest  example  of  an  apologue?  283. 

State  the  occasion  on  which  it  was  used.  283. 

What  was  the  end  of  Abimelech?  285. 

What  was  Jephthah's  vow?  291. 

What  peculiarity  of  pronunciation  is  recorded  as  belonging  to 
the  Ephraimites?  291. 

Give  an  account  of  the  life,  exploits,  and  death  of  Samson.  296, 
297. 

Give  an  account  of  the  birth  and  education  of  Samuel.  298. 

Eelate  the  circumstances  of  his  call  to  the  prophetic  office.  300. 

Who  was  his  mother?  298. 

Give  a  short  account  of  Eli.  298.  n       "  a  f  j^^^v^z^r-^ 

How  did  two  of  the  sons  of  Eli  die?  301.  \^  t^^^^^  ^  i  wt/vi^ 

Of  what  were  they  to  be  the  sign  ?  299.     -   /« 

What  were  their  names?  299.  "  ^ (//^j^s- 

Under  what  circumstances  was  the  ark  of  God  captured  by  the 
Philistines?  301. 

How  long  did  they  retain  it?  302. 

What  was  done  with  it  afterward  ?  302. 

What  judgments  attended  its  presence  when  carried  among  the 
enemies  of  the  children  of  Israel?  302.  .-^  A/t  'V^ 

How  long  did  the  sons  of  Samuel  judge  the  land  ?  303.      \    J    (J 

What  causes  led  to  the  establishment  of  monarchy  among  the 
Jews?  303. 

Whom  did  Samuel  anoint  as  the  first  king?  and  what  signs  did 
he  give  him  ?  303. 


EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS.  345 

Give  a  brief  abstract  of  the  book  of  Kuth.  304. 

What  is  the  character  of  this  book?  304. 

By  whom  was  it  written?  p.  162.  _    ^    OaaAJ-^  \ 

Of  what  tribe  was  Boaz?  305.  t^vKxt  * 

Who  was  Obed?  305.     •  ^  :   I  -u       .     -^^' 

Who  were  the  motiiers  of  Dinah,  Solomon,  Samuel,  and  Obed  ? 
50,333,298,305. 

How  far  do  the  books  of  Samuel  bring  the  narrative  down  ?  p. 
162. 

By  what  other  name  are  they  known?  p.  162. 

What  was  the  first  event  which  signalized  the  reign  of  Saul? 
306.     /:!;.    vi  ■  ,  ■ 

How  and  when  did  Jonathan  distinguish  himself?  307.  ^  -^-^a 

By  what  means  was  the  kingdom  afterward  divided  ?  364.   '      '  p 

Give  an  account  of  Saul.  303,  306,  307,  320-322. 

What  was  the  cause  of  Saul's  desertion  and  rejection  by  the  God 
of  Israel?  308.  -   -v 

How  did  he  die?  321. 

How  was  David  anointed  king  ?  309. 

What  was  the  origin  of  the  ill-will  which  Saul  bore  David?  311. 

What  couree  did  Saul's  persecution  eventually  compel  David  to 
take?  312.  f 

What  act  of  forbearance  did  David  show  him?  317. 

Upon  what  occasions  did  David  counterfeit  madness?  314. 

And  upon  ^hat  occasions  did  he  spare  the  life  of  Saul?  317, 
319.  ;,'         ]   *  . 

By  whose  hand  did  Saul  die?  and  in  what  battle  had  he  been 
engaged?  321. 

What  sin  of  Saul  drew  forth  the  words,  "  It  repenteth  me  that  I 
have  set  up  Saul  to  be  king"?  308.    /--''; 

What  was  Saul's  end  ?  321. 

Of  what  tribe  was  his  successor?  How  does  the  book  of  Euth 
bear  upon  the  history  of  his  family  ?  304. 

What  was  David's  origin  ?  305. 

By  what  mighty  deeds  did  he  distinguish  himself  in  his  youth  ? 
310,  319. 

By  whom  was  he  anointed  king?  309. 

What  justified  such  an  act  so  many  years  before  the  death 
of  Saul?  308. 


Where  did  David  at  first  reign?  323.      ''^^'"'-''*^ 

What  place  did  he  afterward  take  and  make  his  residence  ?  326 

What  part  did  Abner  take  in  the  political  revolutions  of  his 
time?  324. 

Why  was  not  David  allowed  to  build  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  ? 
328.^' 

Give  an  account  of  Absalom,  his  wicked  conduct  toward  his 
father,  and  his  punishment.  335,  337,  342. 

How  did  David  receive  the  tidings  of  his  death  ?  342. 

Give  a  full  account  of  Absalom.  335-337,  339,  342. 

Give  a  short  account  of  Ahithophel.  337,  340. 


(}r,_\:i\. 


346  EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS. 

What  are  we  told  of  Sliimei?  of  Ziba?  of  Barzillai?  343. 

Give  an  account  of  the  dissensions  which  took  place  between 
Israel  and  Judah  in  the  reign  of  David.  344'. 

Who  was  Joab  ?  and  what  was  his  conduct  in  this  war  ?  354. 

What  act  of  presumption  did  David  commit?  and  what  punish- 
ment ensued  ?  348.  • 

What  advantage  did  Adonijah  take  of  his  father's  advanced  age? 
349. 

Whom  did  David  appoint  as  his  successor?  349. 

Wliere  was  David  buried  ?  350.  ' 

What  was  the  character  of  David  ?  351. 

Under  whom  did  the  kingdom  of  Israel  attain  its  greatest  ex- 
tent? and  what  were  then  its  limits?  352. 

Give  an  account  of  the  vision  whicli  Solomon  had  soon  after  his 
accession  to  the  throne.  356. 

How  was  his  wisdom  displayed  immediately  afterward?  356.^  .  ajT^ 

What  relation  did  he  form  with  Egypt  ?  356.    .  '  ^  ^TTv.   7  l>^ 

Whence  did  he  import  linen  and  war-chariots?  357. 

With  what  contemporary  king  did  Solomon  form  a  Iriendly  alli- 
ance? 357.     ■  A  ^  /V     I'ofi- 

What  was  the  spot  on  which  the  temple  was  erected?  359.  iVxilV^^^AA^ 

Where  had  the  ark  been  kept  before  its  erection  ?  144,  note. 

Supposing  975  b.  c.  to  be  the  date  of  Solomon's  death,  give  the 
following  dates :  of  Saul  being  anointed  king  by  Samuel ;  of  David 
being  anointed  king  of  all  Israel  at  Hebron.  369,  323. 

To  what  tribes  did  the  following  persons  respectively  belong : 
Moses,  David,  Daniel,  Ezra,  Saul,  Korah,  Zerubbabel,  and  Boaz? 
82,  304,  621,  584,  303,  223,  360,  note,  305. 

What  was  the  fate  of  Abiathar  ?  of  Adonijah  ?  of  Joab  ?  353. 

What  relation  was  Joab  to  David  ?  and  what  was  his  character  ? 
354. 

What  was  the  end  of  Shimei?  355. 

In  what  year  of  his  reign  did  Solomon  commence  the  building 
of  the  temple  ?  358.    *  "     «■  /   ^ 

How  many  persons  were  employed  ort  the  structure?  358.  'I%^j  '^ 

Give  an  exact  description  of  the  temple.  359. 

In  what  manner  was  the  temple  dedicated  ?  360. 

How  many  temples  were  there  at  Jerusalem?  and  who  built 
them?  359  and  360,  note. 

In  what  respects  did  the  first  and  second  temples  differ?  360. 

How  was  the  prophecy  fulfilled  that  the  second  temple  should 
excel  the  first?  360,  note.   '■ 

Illustrate  the  great  glory  of  Solomon.  361. 

What  circumstances  disturbed  the  latter  part  of  his  reign?  362. 

What  account  have  we  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat  previous 
to  his  establishing  himself  on  the  throne  of  Israel  ?  362. 

Who  was  Kehoboam  ?  364. 

In  what  way  was  the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  of  Israel  foretold  in 
the  time  of  Solomon  ?  362. 

What  occasion  was  given  by  Rehoboam  for  their  revolt?  364. 


EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS.  347 

Did  he  ever  make  an  attempt  to  bring  them  again  into  subjec- 
tion? 372. 

State  clearly  the  changes  which  took  place  in  the  governing 
power  among  the  Jews  between  the  time  of  Samuel  and  that  of 
Solomon.     (See  Introduction.) 

Describe  briefly  the  events  which  took  place  connected  with  the 
succession  to  the  throne  on  Solomon's  death.  364. 

Eelate  the  circumstances  of  the  separation  and  the  revolt  of  the 
ten  tribes  of  Israel  from  Judah.  364. 

Under  whom  did  the  tribes  revolt  ?  364. 

Mention  the  chief  events  in  the  life  of  Jeroboam.  371,  373,  374, 
377. 

What  is  the  title  by  which  the  memory  of  his  conduct  is  per- 
petuated? 371. 

What  means  were  employed  by  Jeroboam  to  prevent  the  ten 
tribes  from  returning  to  the  house  of  David  ?  374. 

Why  was  it  said  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat  that  he  "  made 
Israel  to  sin"?  374. 

Why  were  the  two  calves  of  gold  set  up  ?  374. 

How  did  God  manifest  his  displeasure  to  Jeroboam  at  Bethel  ? 
377. 

What  did  the  man  of  God  prophesy  at  Bethel  ?  377. 

What  king  of  Judah  is  connected  with  the  transaction  ?  377. 

State  the  principal  events  in  the  life  of  Elijah.  401,  403,  406,  410. 

What  were  the  circumstances  of  his  death?  428.  #>        ^  •    c\  (j    ^ 

In  whose  reigns  did  he  live?  399,  420,  426.    '     -' '^»  ^^fJ^^X^^^^^ 

Elijah  said  to  Ahab,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  In  the  place  where 
dogs  licked  the  blood  of  Naboth  shall  dogs  lick  thy  blood,  even 
thine."     How  was  this  prophecy  fultilled  ?  417. 

By  what  means  did  Ahab  obtain  the  vineyard  of  Naboth  ?  414. 

What  judgment  was  denounced  against  him  and  his  wife  by 
Elijah  ?  and  how  was  that  judgment  fulfilled  ?  414,  417,  445. 

Who  was  Jezebel  ?  401. 

How  was  Ahab  killed?  415.  ,  u,      ,     2S  >^-"^     i^ 

How  was  Ahab  worse  than  Jeroboam?  417.^''  '-^^^   J^^rxM  ^^ 

For  what  special  objects  were  Elijah  and  Elisha  raised  up?  428, 
463,  notes. 

By  whom,  and  with  what  remarkable  observances,  was  Jericho 
rebuilt?  418. 

Who  was  Jehoshaphat  ?  and  how  long  and  in  what  manner  did 
lie  reign?  398.     -^        '    A  ..'-  -     ' 

Who  succeeded  Elijah  in  the  prophetic  oflSce?  428.  ^ 

Mention  some  of  the  most  remarkable  events  in  the  life  of  Elisha. 
463,  note. 

What  kings  reigned  over  Judah  and  Israel  in  his  time  ?  463,  note. 

Who  raised  to  life  the  Shunammite's  son  ?  437.        ^ 

What  prophet  fed  miraculously  a  large  number  of  people  with  a  ' 

few  loaves  of  bread  ?  463,  note. 

By  whom  was  Elisha  called  ?  and  what  was  to  be  the  sign  that 
the  spirit  of  the  former  prophet  was  upon  him  ?  428. 


348  EXAMINATION    QUESTIONS. 

Give  an  account  of  tlie  cure  of  Naaninn's  leprosy,  and  of  the  cir- 
cumstances immediately  connected  with  it.  480, 

What  miracle  was  wrought  at  Elisha's  sepulchre?  463,  note. 

What  was  the  character  of  Jehorara?  427. 

What  prophecies  were  delivered  against  him?  and  by  whom? 
435. 

Show  their  fulfilment.  436. 

State  the  circumstances  attending  the  siege  of  Samaria  by  Ben- 
hadad.  433. 

What  was  the  character  of  Ahaziah  and  his  fate  ?  439,  442. 

Under  what  circumstances  did  Joash  come  to  the  throne  of  Ju- 
dah?  447. 

How  was  Jehu  appointed  king  over  Israel?  441. 

Whom  did  he  succeed?  441. 

What  measures  did  he  take  to  destroy  the  worshippers  of  Baal  ? 
450. 

What  was  his  general  character?  453,  455. 

Jezebel  says  to  Jehu,  "  Had  Zimri  peace,  who  slew  his  master  ?" 
Who  was  Zimri's  master?  445.  ,,         -^ 

What  was  Zimri's  end ?  395.  ,'  V    'O^i^^y' 

Why  did  Jezebel  remind  Jehu  of  Zimri's  fate?  441. 

Why  was  she  condemned  by  Elijah?  414. 

Give  a  sketch  of  the  history  of  Syria  as  mentioned  in  Scripture. 
471. 

What  mention  is  there  in  the  Old  Testament  of  contrivances  for 
measuring  time  ?  499. 

Give  an  account  of  Hezekiah,  the  suflferings  to  which  he  was  sub- 
jected, and  the  miracles  which  God  performed  for  him.  502,  511. 

How  is  the  excellency  of  King  Hezekiah  described  ?  502. 

What  reformation  did  he  make  ?  502. 

What  did  he  do  to  the  brazen  serpent?  502. 

How  was  his  piety  manifested  when  threatened  by  the  king  of 
Assyria?  510. 

Who  was  Merodach-baladan  ?    What  circumstance  in  the  life  of 
Hezekiah  is  connected  with  him?  512. 

What  miraculous  interposition  took  place  for  deliverance?  510. 

What  prophet  lived  in  his  time?  512.     ^ 

How  old  was  Josiah  when  he  began  to  reign  ?  51 9. 

How  was  his  piety  manifested  when  the  book  of  the  Law  found 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord  was  for  the  first  time  read  to  him  ?  524. 

How  did  Josiah  meet  with  his  death  ?  528. 

What  great  reformation  did  he  effect  through  his  kingdom  ?  525. 

How  is  the  solemn  passover  which  was  then  kept  described  ?  526. 

How  was  his  death  for  years  after  lamented  ?  528. 

Give  some  account  of  the  acts  and  deeds  of  the  king.  519,  523, 
525. 

Of  what  prophecy  was  he  the  object?  525. 

Who  were  the  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  kings  mentioned  ia 
Scripture  previous  to  Nebuchadnezzar?  535. 
Whence  originated  the  Samaritans?  507. 


EXAMINATION    QUESTIONS.  349 

Who  was  Zedekiah?  544.       -a.^  V^' 

What  is  known  of  him  ?  547-550.      ' 

What  two  remarkable  prophecies  were  fulfilled  concerning  him  ? 
650. 

How  did  the  king  of  Judah  treat  Jeremiah  during  the  siege  of 
Jerusalem?  549. 

What  became  of  the  king  of  Judah  and  Jeremiah  after  the  city- 
was  taken  ?  550,  552. 

Describe  the  circumstances  that  immediately  led  to  the  seventy 
years'  captivity.  535,  et  seq. 

What  were  the  respective  durations  of  the  kingdoms  of  Israel 
and  Judah  after  their  separation,  and  by  whom  were  the  inhabitants 
respectively  carried  into  captivity  ?  368,  369. 

What  were  the  different  forms  of  government  to  which  the  Is- 
raelites were  subject  at  different  periods  before  the  captivity  ?  (See 
Introduction.) 

State  the  occasions  of  the  different  changes.  (See  ibid.) 

State  the  names  of  the  last  king  of  Israel  and  his  conqueror,  with 
date,  and  of  the  last  three  kings  of  Judah,  mentioning  briefly  the 
circumstances  of  the  final  subjugation  of  the  latter  kingdom,  pp. 
166-169. 

What  period  of  history  is  embraced  in  the  Chronicles  ?  p.  239. 

What  period  of  time  do  they  comprehend  ?  p.  239. 

By  whom  are  they  supposed  to  have  been  written  ?  and  what  par- 
ticular objects  had  the  author  in  view  ?  p.  239. 

What  is  the  most  important  use  of  the  genealogical  tables  con- 
tained therein  ?  p.  239. 

What  were  the  operations  of  Nebuchadnezzar  in  Palestine  after 
the  capture  of  Jerusalem  ?  and  what  prophecies  were  then  prob- 
ably fulfilled?  559. 

Give  the  principal  evwitfi  in  the  subsequent  life  of  Nebuchadnez- 
zar. 558-561. 

In  what  year  of  his  reign  and  of  the  Captivity  did  he  die  ?  and 
by  whom  was  he  succeeded  ?  561. 

Bv  whom,  and  on  what  occasion,  was  the  Babylonish  captivity 
first" foretold  ?  534. 

Give  the  date  of  the  fall  of  the  Babylonian  empire  and  the  name 
of  the  last  king.  565. 

To  what  monarch  did  it  then  become  subject?  568. 

Which  of  Cyrus'  successors  are  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  ? 
676.  .  . 

Under  whose  conduct  did  the  J'ews  return  home  from  Babylon 
after  their  captivity  ?  572,  584.  "^ 

Who  was  Ezra  ?  and  what  was  his  office  ?  584. 

What  are  the  principal  contents  of  his  book?  p.  245. 

What  were  his  labors  respecting  the  canon  of  Scripture?  586. 

By  what  kings  of  Persia  were  the  three  decrees  in  favor  of  the 
Jews,  recorded  in  the  book  of  Ezra,  issued?  571,  579,  584. 

From  which  of  the  three  were  the  seventy  weeks  of  Daniel  to  be 
reckoned?  684.  •>'>"  V^' WjL^v  , 
30 


350  EXAMINATION   QUESTIONS. 

Who  were  the  chief  persons  concerned  in  the  restoration  of  the 
Jews  and  in  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple?  574,  578. 

Under  what  circumstances  was  the  building  of  the  second  temple 
commenced?  575.  ■    '  '        '.<■>■  ^ 

What  interruptions  did  it  experience  ?  and  from  what  prophets 
did  the  Jews  receive  encouragement  in  the  work?  575,  578.      ; 

Who  was  Nehemiah  ?  588. 

When  did  he  flourish  ?  588. 

And  what  did  he  do  for  the  Jews  ?  589.  lu.W'' 

What  office  did  Nehemiah  hold  under  Artaxerxes?  588.  ^^'^'^^ 

In  what  way  did  he  exert  himself  for  the  rebuilding  of  Jerusa^ 
lem  ?  589. 

Who  were  the  principal  persons  that  opposed  him  ?  589. 

Give  the  names  of  the  high  priests  from  Aaron  to  the  return 
from  captivity,  p.  252. 

What  gave  rise  to  the  feuds  between  the  Jews  and  the  Samari- 
tans? 575. 

Where  did  the  Samaritans  worship?  575. 

What  are  the  chief  contents  of  the  book  of  Nehemiah  ?  p.  253. 

Who  was  Sanballat?  and  on  what  occasion  is  his  name  men- 
tioned? 589. 

To  what  year  b.  c.  does  direct  history  in  our  canon  of  the  Old 
Testament  extend  ?  592. 

Give  a  summary  of  the  contents  of  the  book  of  Esther.  593. 

Over  what  period  does  it  extend?  593. 

By  what  name  is  Ahasuerus  (mentioned  in  the  book  of  Esther) 
known  in  profane  history  ?  593. 

Belate  the  circumstances  of  the  plot  formed  by  Haman  against 
the  Jews,  and  show  how  it  was  frustrated.  593. 

What  is  the  signification  of  the  word  "  Purim"?  594. 

How  did  the  Jews  observe  this  festival  ?  594. 


INDEX 


77ie  r^erences  are  made  to  the  Sections ;  those  to  the  Connection  between  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments,  and  to  the  Introduction,  are  distinctly  marked. 


A. 

Sect. 

Aaron  meets  Moses  in  the  wilder- 
ness     85 

with  Moses  goes  to  Pliaraoh...  86 
lays  up  some  manna  in  a  pot..  103 
with    Hiir    holds    up    Moses' 

hands 105 

the  people  delegated  to  them..  109 
persuaded   by   the   people   to 

make  a  golden  calf 110 

a  type  of  Christ 152 

his  family  appointed  priests..  154 

consecrated 106 

his  sedition  with  Miriam  at 

Hazeroth 220 

his  rud  blo.ssoms 224 

his  sin  at  Meribah 225 

his  death  on  Mount  Hor 226 

Abdon,  a  judge  in  North  Israel....  294 
Abeduego,  given  as  an  hostage  to 

Neliuohadnezzar 537 

(Hebrew,  Azariah),  educated 

at  Babylon 621 

cast  into  the  tiery  furnace 623 

Abel,  son  of  Adam,  a  keeper  of 
sheep;  his  sacrifice;  killed 

by  Cain 7 

Abel   of    Beth-maachah ;    Sheba 

slain  there 345 

Abel-mizraim  ("the  mourning  of 

the  Egyptians") 74 

Abiathar,  son  of  Ahimelech 315 

the  priest,  bears  the  ark  after 
David;  ordered  to  carry  it 

back 338 

revolts  with  Adonijah 349 

banished  to  Anathoth 353 

Abib 97  and  wo/e 

Abigail,  wife   of  Nabal,   marries 

David 318 

Abihu,  son  of  Aaron,  with  Nadab, 

attends  Moses  in  the  mount.  109 

their  sin 169 

Abijah,  or  Abijam,  son  of  Reho- 

boara 378 

defeats  Jeroboam 379 


Abijah,  son  of  Jeroboam 380 

Abimelech,  king  of  Gerar,  deceiv- 
ed by  Abraham 32 

his  covenant  with  Abraham...    35 

deceived  by  Isaac 44 

Abimelech,  son   of  Gideon   by   a 

concubine 283 

killed  by  a  mill-stone 285 

Abinadab,  ark  remained  in  house 

of 302 

son  of  Jesse 309 

Abiram   ("deceit"),   rebellion    of  223 

son  of  Hiel 256,  418 

Abishag,  a  Shuuammite  virgin 349 

Adonijah    requests  to  marry 

her 353 

Abisbai,  son  of  Zeruiali,  conquers 

Ammonites 331 

wishes  to  slay  Shimei 338 

marches  against  Absalom 341 

against  Sheba 345 

succors  David,  and  slays  Ish- 

bi-benob 347 

Abner,  son  of  Ner,  Saul's  uncle, 
commander  of  Ishbosheth's 

army,  slain  by  Joab 324 

Abram,  son  of  Terah,  age  of;  mar- 
ries Sarai 19 

early  life  and  call  of. 20 

enters  Canaan ;  land  promised 
to  his  seed  ;  goes  to  Egypt ; 

deceives  Pharaoh 21 

returns;  separates  from  Lot; 

and  goes  to  Mamre 22 

rescues  Lot,  and  pays  titiies  to 

Melchizedek 24 

a  son  promised  to  him,  and  the 
Egyptian  bondage  foretold..    26 

Tshmael  born 27 

God's  promises  renewed 28 

circumcision  instituted ;  name 

changed  to  Abraham 29 

visited  by  three  angels  ;  inter- 
cedes for  Sodom 30 

deceives  Abimelech  at  Gerar.,    32 
Isaac  born 33 

851 


352 


INDEX. 


Sect. 

Abraham  sends  away  Hagar  and 

Ishmael 34 

enters  into  covenant  with  Ab- 

iraelech 35 

commanded  to  offer  Isaac 36 

Sarah  dies;  buys  the  cave  of 

Machpelah 37 

marries  Isaac  to  Rebekah 38 

marries  Keturah 39 

sends  away  her  sons  with  frifts,7}o/e 
dies ;  buried  by  Isaac  and  Ish- 
mael      41 

the  father  of  the  faithful 42 

Absalom,  son   of  David,  receives 

Tamar  into  his  house 334 

assassinates  Amnon  and  flees 

to  Geshur 335 

returns;  Joab  effects  a  recon- 
ciliation for  him  with  David  336 

revolts 337 

insults  David's  concubines 339 

rejects  Ahithophel's  counsel,.  340 

defeated  and  slain  by  Joab 342 

Achan:  his  sin;  stoned  to  death 
with  his  family  and  burn- 
ed  in    the  valley  of  Achor 

("  trouble") 257 

Achish,  king  of  the  Philistines; 

David  flees  to  him 314 

gives  Ziklag  to  David 319 

dismisses  David 323 

Achsah,  daughter  of  Caleb,  0th- 

niel's  wife 264 

Acra,  or  Millo,  a  hill  of  Jerusalem, 

me,  note,  and  Con.  22 
Adah,  wife  of  Lamech,  mother  of 

Jabel  and  Jubal 8 

or  Bashemath,  wife  of  Esau...    45 

Adam,  creation  of. 1 

God  blesses  him ^..      3 

placed  in  Eden  ;  beasts  named 

and  woman  made 4 

fall  and  sentence  of  God  on 
him ;     clothed    with    skins 

and  expelled  Paradise 5 

his  sons 7 

his  posterity  through  Cain 8 

his  age,  and  posterity  through 

Seth 9 

Psalms  ascribed  to  him 604 

Adar,  a  month 594 

Adonibezek,  king  of  Bezek,  defeat 

of. 270 

Adonijah,  son  of  David  by  Hag- 

gitli;  his  revolt 349 

slain  by  Benaiah 353 

Adonizedeiv,  king  of  Jerusalem, 

defeated  by  Joshua 259 

Adoram  stoned  in  revolt  of  ten 

tribes 364 

Adriel,  Merab  given  to  him 346 

AduUam.caveof ;  David  concealed 

there 314 

Adultery,  law  respecting 118 

Africa  peopled  by  descendants  of 

Ham 15 


Sect. 
Agag,  king  of  Amalek,  slain  by 

Samuel 308 

Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  son  of  Omri ; 

duration  of  reign 399 

marries  Jezebel;  his  idolatry.  401 
accuses  Elijah  with  troubling 

Israel 406 

hisaflanity  with  Jehoshaphat.  409 
Benhadad  threatens  him  ;  his 

victory 411 

his  second  victory  over  Ben- 
hadad   412 

his  alliance  with  Benhadad...  413 

covets  Naboth's  vineyard 414 

Jehoshaphat  unites  with  him 

against  the  Syrians 415 

his  death .' 417 

events  in  his  reign 418 

Ahara,  a  river 584 

Ahasuerus,  or  Cambyses;  Samar- 
itans write  to  him 576 

divorces  Vashti  and  marries 

Esther 593 

Ahaz,  son  of  Jotham,  king  of  Ju- 

dah 487 

his  idolatry 488 

Isaiah  prophesies  to  him 491 

defeated  by  Pekah  and  Rezin.  492 

applies  to  Tiglath-pileser 493 

worships  the  gods  of  Damas- 
cus   494 

his  sun-dial 499 

Ahaziah,  king  of  Israel,  son  of 

Ahab;  duration  of  reign....  420 

idolatry 421 

his  sickness;  sends  to  Baal- 

zebub 424 

sends  three  companies  of  fifty 
each  to  arrest  Elijah  ;   his 

death 425 

Ahaziah,  king  of  Judah  ;  son  of 

Jehoram  by  Athaliah 4.''>9 

joins  Jehoram,  king  of  Israel.  440 

slain  by  Jehu 442 

Ahiah,ason  of  Eli 301 

Ahijah,    the    Shilonite    prophet, 
promises  to  Jeroboam  ten 

tribes 362 

Abijah  sends  to  consult  him...  380 
Ahimaaz,  sou  of  Zadok  the  priest.  388 

Ahiman,  son  of  Anak 264 

Ahimelech,   a  high  priest,  gives 

shew-hread  to  David 314 

slain  by  Doeg 315 

Ahinoam  of  Jezreel;  David  mar- 
ries her 318 

Ahithophel  the  Gilonite,  David's 

counsellor,  revolts 337 

his  counsel 338 

followed 339 

rejected 340 

commits  suicide 342 

Ahitub,  a  son  of  Eli 301 

Aholiah,  an  inspired  architect 139 

Aholibamah,  or  Judith,  a  wife  of 

Esau 45 


INDEX. 


353 


Sect. 
Ai ;  distance  from  Jericho  ;  takeu 

by  Joshua 257 

Alciraus,  or  Jacimus,  high  priest, 

deposed Con.  29 

Alexander  the  Great;  his  first 
conquests;  yisits  Jerusa- 
lem ;    adores    the  name    of 

God Con.  5 

conquers    Egj'pt    and    over- 
throws Persia Con.  6 

his  death Con.  7 

Alexander    Balas,  the    impostor, 

obtains  Syria Con.  33 

JEgeus,  a  posthumous  son  of 

Alexander  the  Great 0971.7 

Jannseus,  high  priest,  brother 

of  Aristobulus  I Con.  49 

insulted  by  the  populace.... Con.  50 

rebellion  of  Pharisees Con.  52 

Alexander  Jannseus;  regains  the 

kingdom  ;  his  cruelty Con.  53 

his     dying     advice     to      his 

queen Con.  54 

Alexander,  son  of  Aristobulus  II., 

invades  Judsea Con.  63 

carried  to  Aniioch    and    be- 
headed  Con.  65 

Alexandra,  queen   of  Alexander 

Jannseus Con.  54 

ascends  the  throne Con.  55 

mother  of  Mariamne Con.  80 

Altar  of  incense 141 

of  burnt-offerings 149 

Amalekites,  account  of 247 

defeated  bv  Joshua 105 

defeat  the  Israelites 222 

defeated  by  Saul 308 

David  319  and  note,  323 
Amasa,  commander  of  the  host  of 

Absalom 342 

commander-in-chief  to  David.  344 

slain  by  Joab 345 

Amasis,  king  of  Egypt,  rival  of 

Apries 559 

Amaziah,  king  of  Judah,  son  of 

Joash;  duration  of  reign....  460 
slays  his  father's  murderers...  462 

defeats  the  Edomites 464 

worships  the  Edomite  gods....  466 
challenges  Joash,  king  of  Is- 
rael, and  defeated 467 

slain  at  Lachish 468 

Amittai,  father  of  Jonah 635 

Aramiel,  father  of  Machir 341 

Ammonites,  history  of. Int.  21 

descended  from  Ben-ammi 31 

oppress  the  Israelites  eighteen 

years 288 

defeated  by  Jephthah 291 

by  Saul 306 

by  David 331 

subject  to  Solomon 352 

defeated  by  Jehoshaphat 422 

Amnon,   son   of   David    by   Ahi- 

nb:im,  abuses  Tamar 334 

slain  by  Absalom 335 

30  * 


Sect. 
Amon,  king  of  Judah,  son  of  Ma- 

nasseh 517 

Amorites,  the,  their  position   in 

Canaan 23 

defeated  bv  the  Israelites 229 

by  Joshua 261 

Amos  prophesies 476 

his  time,  etc 633 

Amraiu,  father  of  Moses 82 

Amraphel,  king  of  Shinar 24 

Anak,  three  sons  of 264 

A nakims  defeated  by  Joshua 2•^9 

Auanel,  high  priest Con.  75 

Anath,  father  of  Shamgar 277 

Anathema,  or  Cherem 202 

Anathoth,  Abiathar  banished  to..  353 
Andromachus,  governor  of  the  Sa- 
maritans  Con.  6 

Andronicus,    governor    of   Anti- 

och Coil.  17 

Aner,  an  Amorite,  joins  Abraham.    24 

Animals  created 1 

named  by  Adam 4 

Antigonus,  brother  of  Aristobu- 
lus I CbM.48 

son   of  Aristobulus,  defeated 

by  Herod Con.  70 

Parthians  place  him  on  the 

throne Con.  71 

sent  in  chains  to  Autioch  and 

executed Con.  73 

Antigonus  Socho,  founder  of  the 

New  Synagogue Con.  11 

his  doctrine Con.  97 

Antiochus  the  Great,  defeated  by 

Philopator Con.  13 

his  conquest  of  Palestine... Con.  14 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  brother  of 
Seleucus,  establishes  idola- 
trous    games     at     Jerusa- 
lem  0^71.16 

bribed  by  Menelaus Con.  17 

profanes'the  temple,  etc Coti.  18 

persecutes  the  Jews Con.  19 

Antipas,  son  of  Herod  the  Great. Con.90 
Autipater,   father   of   Herod  the 

Great Con.  5^ 

intrigues  with  Aretas Co7i.  59 

his  poUcy Con.  02 

defeats  Alexander Cbn.  63 

appointed  procurator  of  Ju- 
daea  Cbn.  66 

poisoned  by  Malichus Con.  68 

Antipater,   a  son   of    Herod '  the 

Great Con.  85 

put  to  death  by  order  of  He- 
rod  Con.  89 

Antonia,  a  palace  and  castle  of 

Jerusalem Cbn.  83 

Antony,   Mark,    assists    Antipa- 
ter  Cori.  63 

his  conduct  in  Egypt Co7i.  71 

executes  Antigonus Con.  73 

his  overthrow  at  Actium... Con.  79 
Aphek;    Benhadad    II.  defeated 

there 412 


354 


INDEX. 


Sect. 
Apocryphal  books,  account  of. ..Int.  59 

history  of Con.  103-107 

Apollonius,  a  general  of  Antio- 

chus Con.  18 

Apologues ;  Jotham's  earliest  re- 
corded   284 

Joash's 467 

Apries,  or  Pharaoh-Hophra,  allies 

with  Zedeklah 547 

retreat  of 548 

Arabia,    geography  and    history 

of. Int.  17-22 

Arabians   tributary   to    Jehosha- 

phat 408 

Arad,    king  of   a  Canaauite  na- 
tion   227 

Aram,  geography  of. Inl.  9  and  39 

Araunah  the  Jebusite 348 

Araxes,  a  river  of  Eden 4 

Arbela Con.  6 

Archelaus,  son  of  Herod  the  Great. 

Con.  90 
Aretas,  king  of  Arabia  Petrsea..Co?i.  58 

assists  Hyrcanus Co7i.  59 

Aridseus,  an   illegitimate    son  of 

Philip Con.1 

Arioch,  king  of  EUasar,  defeated 

by  Abram 24 

Aristobulus  I.  seizes  the  govern- 
ment  Con.  47 

conquers  the  Itureans  ;   kills 

Antigonus Con.  48 

Aristobulus  II.,  brother  of  Hyrca- 
nus  Con.  56 

battle  with  Hyrcanus Con. 57 

ascends  the  throne Con.  58 

defeated  by  Antipater Con.  59 

Pompey    arbitrates    between 

the  brothers Con.  60 

taken  prisoner  to  Rome.....Cbn.  61 
escapes;  is  defeated  and  poi- 
soned  Cun.  65 

Aristobulus,  a  sou  of  Herod  the 

Great,  executed Con.  85 

Ark,  the,  built;  a  type  of  salva- 
tion by  Christ 10 

of  the  tabernacle,  contents. ...p.  91 

subsequent  liistory  of 144,  note 

taken  by  the  Pliilistines 301 

disasters    attending,   and    its 

restoration 302 

removal  to  Jerusalem  by  Da- 
vid   328 

Armenia,  geography  of. Int.  40 

Arnon,  a  river;  march  from  Hor 

to 228 

Aroer 291 

Arphaxad,  son  of  Sliera  ;   his  de- 
scendants     l*i 

his  age 18 

Arphaxad,  king  of  the  Medes p.  257 

Arses,  king  of  the  Medes '6. 

Arson,  law  against 124 

Artabanus  slays  Xerxes,  captain 

of  the  guard 582 

Artaxerxea  (Smerdis  Magus)  pro- 


Secu 
hibits  the  building  of  the 

temple 577 

Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  or  Aha- 

sueriis 583 

appoints    Ezra  conductor    of 

the  people 584 

appoints  Nehemiah  governor.  588 
divorces  Vashti;  marries  Es- 
ther   593 

Artemisium,  battle  of 582 

Arza,  steward  of  Baasha 393 

Asa,  king  of  Judah,  son  of  Abijah ; 

duration  of  reign 381 

suppresses  idolatry 384 

defeats  Zerah 387 

bribes  Benhadad  1 390 

his  death 391 

Asahel,  son  of  Zeruiah,  slain  by 

Abner 324 

Asaph,  a  writer  of  the  Psalms 604 

Asenath,  wife  of  Joseph 66 

Ashdod,  a  government  of  the  Phil- 
istines  277,  note. 

taken  by  Sennacherib 509 

Asher,  son  of  Zilpah,  born 50 

Jacob's    propliecy   respecting 

him 72 

the  territory  of  his  tribe 263 

Ashtaroth,  worshipped  by  the  Is- 
raelites*.   271 

by  Ahab, 
401  and  note 

Asia  Minor,  geography  of Int.  8 

peopled  by  the  descendants  of 

Japheth 14 

Asia,  Northern,  peopled  by  the  de- 
scendants of  Japheth 14 

Central,   peopled   by  the  de- 
scendants of  Shem 16 

Askelon,    a   government  of    the 

Philistines 277,  note 

Assemblies,    legislative;    the    co- 
mi  tia 134 

method  and  place  of  conven- 
ing   135 

powers  of 136 

Assnur,  son  of  Shem  ;  his  descend- 
ants      16 

Assyria,  geography   and   history 

of Int.iQ 

summary  of  history 554 

also  tables,  at pp.  166-169 

Assyrians,  descended  from  Shem..    16 
Astarte,    worshipped    by    Ahab, 

401  and  note 
Astyages,  king  of  Media,  death  of..  562 

Ata'd,  threshing-floor  of 74 

Athaliah,  queen  of  Judah,  daugh- 
ter of  Ahab,  marries  Jeho- 

ram 400 

usurps  the  throne 443 

slain 447 

Atonement,  day  of. 192 

Atossa,  mother  of  Xerxes 582 

Azariah,  a  prophet 381 

encourages  Asa 387 


INDEX. 


355 


Azariah,  probably  same  as  Ain- 

ariah 587 

Azariah,  king  of  Judah.    See  Uz- 

ZIAH. 

Hebrew  name  of  Abednego...  621 

B. 

Baal,  introduction  of,  among  the 

Israelites 271 

•Gideon  throws  down  the  altar 

of 280 

worshipped  by  Ahab  ;  account 

of. 401  and  note 

prophets  slaughtered  by  Eli- 
jah   406 

worshippers    slauglitered    by 

Jehu 450 

Baal-zebub  ("  lord  of  flies  "),  god  of 

Ekron,  sent  to  by  Ahaziah..  424 
Baanah,  captain  and  murderer  of 

Ishboshetli,  slain  by  David.  325 
Baasha,  king  of  Israel;  duration 

of  reign 385 

his  idolatry 386 

allies  with  Benhadad  1 388 

fortifies  Ramali 389 

assassinated  by  Zimri 393 

Babel  built  and  kingdom  founded.    17 

Babylon  besieged  by  Cyrus 566,  567 

Babylonia,  geography  and  history 

of. /«<.  41-43 

rise  of  empire 535 

Bacchides  sent  by  Demetrius  So- 

ter  into  Judsea Oni.  30 

Bagoses,  a  satrap  of  Syria Con.  2 

Bahurim,  Shimei  curses  David  at.  338 

Balaam  ;  Balak  sends  to  him 230 

his  counsel 231 

slain 232 

Balak,  king  of  Moab 230 

Barachah,  supposed  the  valley  of 

Jehoshapliat 422 

Barak  defeats  Sisera 278 

Baruch  reads  Jeremiah's  prophecy 

in  the  temple 534-538 

book  of. Con.  110 

Barzillai,    the   Gileadite,  succors 

David 341 

congratulates  David 343 

Bashan 229 

Bashemath,  or  Adah,  wife  of  Esau.    45 
Bathsheba,  wife  of  Uriah  ;  David's 

adultery  with 332 

death  of  her  child  ;  Solomon 

born 333 

tells  David  of  Adonijah's  re- 
volt   349 

her  request  for  Adonijah 1353 

Beeri,  father  of  Hosea 631 

Beeroth,  a  city  of  the  Gibeonites..  258 
Beersheba  ("well  of  oath"),  wil- 
derness of 34 

digging  of  the  well  of. 35 

Elijah  flies  thither 410 

Bel  and  the  Dragon Con.  118 


Sect, 
Belshazzar,  allies  with  Croesus.Cbn.  565 

slain Con.  567 

his  feast  and  death Con.  627 

Belteshazzar,  name  given  to  Dan- 
iel  Con.&2\ 

Beuaiah,  proclaims  Solomon  king.  349 

slays  Adonijah  and  Joab 353 

slays  Shimei 355 

Benamini,  father  of  the  Ammon- 
ites, born 31 

Benhadad   I.  bribed  by  Asa;  at- 
tacks Baasha 390 

II. ;    1st  campaign  ;    siege   of 

Samaria 411 

2d    campaign ;     defeated     at 

Aphek 412 

alliance  with  Ahab 413 

defeats  Ahab  at  Ramoth-gil- 

ead 415 

his  death  foretold  by  Elijah...  438 

III.,  son  of  Hazad 458 

(For  an  account  of  these 
three  Syrian  kings  see 
also  493,  note.) 

Benjamin,  son  of  Rachel,  born 58 

his  father  refuses  to  send  him 

to  Egypt 68 

is  sent,  and  the  cup  found  in 

his  sack 69 

Jacob's  prophecy  respecting 

him 72 

territory  of  his  tribe 263 

the  tribe  utterly  routed 273 

forcibly  obtain  wives 274 

Benoni  ("son  of  my  sorrow") 58 

Berechiah,  father  of  Zechariah....  641 
Berith,  an  idol,  worship  of,  by  Is- 
raelites   285 

Bessus,  satrap  of  Bactria Con.  6 

Bethel  ("  house  of  God  "),  so  called 

by  Jacob 47 

golden  calf  set  up  there 374 

man  of  God  comes  to 377 

Josiah  breaks  down  the  altar 

at 525 

Beth-maachah 345 

Beth-rehob,  a  Syrian  state 331 

Bethshan,  or  Scythopolis 321 

Bethshemites    slain    for    looking 

into  the  ark 302 

Bethsura,  a  town  between  Hebron 

and  Jerusalem Con.  23 

Bethuel,  son  of  Nahor,  father  of 

Rebekah 38 

Bezaleel,  son  of  Uri,  an  inspired 

architect 139 

Bezek,  10,000  men  of,  slain 270 

Bezer,  a  city  of  refuge 236 

Bible,  the Int.  53 

Bildad  the  Shuhite.  Job's  friend...  599 

Bilhah,  handmaid  of  Rachel 49 

her  sons 50 

Reuben  commits  incest  witli 

her 59 

misconduct  of  her  sons 61 

Blasphemy,  law  against 113 


INDEX. 


Sect. 

Eoaz  marries  Ruth 305 

Bread,  unleavened,  feast  oi"..99  and  188 

Breastplate  of  judgment,  the 162 

Brutus,  defeat  of,  at  Philippi G9 

Buzi,  father  of  Ezekiel 620 

C. 

Caesar,  Julius,  restores  Hyrcanus, 

Con.  64 

releases  Aristobulus Con.  65 

appoints  An ti pater  procura- 
tor  Con.  66 

assassination  of. Con.  68 

Sextus,  governor  of  Syria...Con.  67 

Oetavius 72 

secures  the  kingdom  to  Herod.    79 
C*sarea,  built  by  Herod  the  Great, 

Co7i.  83 

Cain,  murders  Abel 7 

his  posterity 8 

Cainan,  son  of  Enos,  descendant 

of  Seth 9 

Caleb,   sent  to  spy  out  Canaan  ; 

his  conduct 222 

drives  out   the  three  sons  of 

Anak 264 

Calf,  the  golden 110  and  note 

Calves,  the  golden,  set  up  by  Jero- 
boam   374 

Cambyses.    See  Ahasuerus. 

Canaan,  son  of  Ham 12-15 

land  of,  prior  to  conquest  by 

Israelites 243 

boundaries.... 244 

description  of  the  country 245 

early  inhabitants ....246-250 

divided    among    the    twelve 

tribes 263 

Candlestick,  the  golden 143 

Captain  of  a  thousand Sll,  note 

Carchemish,  an  important  post  on 

the  Euphrates 528 

captured  by  Necho 530 

Carmel,  Mount ;   the  contest  be- 
tween Elijah  and  the  priests 

of  Baal 406 

Cassander,  a  general  of  Alexan- 
der  Con.  9 

Cassius,  seizes  Syria Con.  68 

defeated  at  Philippi Con.  69 

Census  of  the  Israelites 234 

Ceremonial  law,  how  divided. 

(See  note,  p.  90) 
Chaldee,  Babylonian  empire,  rise 

of r,?.5 

history  of. 558 

Chebar,  a  river 620 

Chedorlaomer,  king  of  Elam,  de- 
feated by  Abram 24,  554 

Chemosh,  worshipped  by  Solomon.  362 
Chephirah,  a  city  of  the  Gibeou- 

ites 258 

Cherem,  or  Anathema 202 

Cherethites,  follow  David. .338  and  note 
march  of,  under  Abishai 315 


Sect. 
Cherith,  Elijah  fed  by  ravens  at 

the  brook 428,  note 

Cherubim,  the 146 

Child-birth,  purification  after 206 

Chimham,  son  of  Barzillai 343 

Chronicles,  Books  of. 555-557 

Cimbri,  the,  or  Cimmerians,  de- 
scended  from    Goraer,   son 

of  Japheth 14 

Circumcision,  instituted 29 

re-established 255 

Cleopatra;  Antony  falls  in  love 

with  her Con.  71 

Coele-Syria Con.  9, 7iOie 

Comitia,    the.     See  Assemblies, 

LEGISLATIVE. 

Commerce  of  Solomon 357 

Constitution,  the  Jewish..  133  and  note 

Covetousness,  law  against 130 

Cozbi,  a  Midianitish  woman,  slain 

by  Phinehas 231 

Crassus,  governor  of  Syria Cbn.  65 

Creation,  the 1,  2 

Croesus,  king  of  Lydia,  defeated 

by  Cyrus '. 565 

CushjSon  of  Ham 15 

Cushites,  descendants  of  Cush 15 

Cuthseans,  or  Samaritans 507 

Cyaxares  IL,  placed  by  Cyrus  on 

the  throne  of  Babylon 568 

death  of. 570 

III.  in  Median  line,  allies  with 
Nabopolassar     and      takes 

Nineveh.    See  page  168 535 

Cyrus,  succeeds  Astyages  in  the 

military  government 562 

assists  his  uncle  Cyaxares  II..  563 

besieges  Babylon 566 

takes  Babylon 567 

succeeds  to  the  empire 570 


Dagon,  a  god  of  the  Philistines....  297 

falls  down  before  the  ark 302 

Damascus,  seized  by  Rezou 362 

kingdom  of. 493,  note 

Dan,  son  of  Bilhah,  born 50 

Jacob's  prophecy  concerning 

him 72 

the  territory  of  his  tribe 263 

the  tribe    carry  oflF  Micah's 

gods,  and  take  Laish 272 

golden  calf  set  up  at 374 

Daniel,  carried  to  Babylon 537 

called  Belteshazzar 621 

interprets  the  king's  dreams, 

622,  624 
his  vision  of  the  four  beasts...  625 
of  the  ram  and  he- 
goat 626 

deciphers  the  writing 627 

thrown  into  the  lions'  den 628 

his  prophecies 629,  630 

his  history 621-630  and7iote 

Darius    the    Mede.      See   Cyax- 
ares II. 


INDEX. 


357 


Sect. 

Darius    Hystaspis,    obtains    the 

throne 578 

confirms  the  edict  of  Cyrus...  579 
his  death,  and  principal  events 

of  his  reitcn 582 

Dathan,("laws"),  rebellion  of. 223 

David,  son  of  Jesse,  anointed  king.  809 

slays  Goliatii 310 

thrice    escapes   death;    mar- 
ries Michal 311 

flies  to  Ramah 312 

his  covenant  with  Jonathan...  313 

his  wanderings 314-319 

forbearance    at    Engedi    and 

Ziph 317,319 

raarriesAbigailand  Ahinoam.  318 
defeats  Auialekites  and  pro- 
claimed king 3-3,  32.^ 

takes  Jerusalem 326 

defeats  Philistines,  etc.327,  329, 331 

adultery  with  Bathsheba 332 

reconciled  to  Absalom 336 

leaves  Jerusalem 338 

his  concubines  insulted 339 

grief  for  Ahsalom 342 

returns  to  Jerusalem 348 

attacked  by  Ishbi-benob 347 

numbers  tlie  people 348 

his  death  and  character 350,  3.51 

Psalms  of 604 

Dead    bodies,    purification    after 

touching 20(> 

Dead  Sea,  formation  of. 31 

Debir,  king  of  Eglon,  defeated  by 

Joshua 2.59 

Deborah,  nurse  of  Rebekah,  dies..    57 
the  prophetess,  defeats  Sisera.  278 

Dedication,  feast  of 193 

institution  of Co)i.  22 

D'-lilah  betrays  Samson 297 

Delug-,  tlie 11 

Demetrius  Euceres.Pharisees  send 

to  him 09/1.52 

Nicator,  acknowledges  Simon 

as  high  priest Con.  21 

obtains  the  throne Con.  34 

his  ingratitude  punished.. ..Cow.  35 
Soter,  sends  an  army  against 

Judaea Con.  29 

Deuteronomy  ;  analysis  of  its  con- 
tents  p.  130 

propliecies  in 241 

authenticitv  of  the  last  chap- 
ter  .'. 242 

Dinah,  daughtpr  of  Leali,  born....    50 

carried  otf  by  Shechem 56 

Divination,  law  against 112 

Divorce,  law  of I'-O 

Dodecarthy,  the 528 

Doeg,     the     Edomite,     marches 

against  Nob 315 

Doris,  tlie  first  wife  of  Herod  tlie  | 

Great Cb«.  85 

Dothan,  Joseph  finds  his  brethren 

there Gl 

besieged  by  Benhadad 431 


Secu 
Dura ;    Nebuchadnezzar's    image 

erected  there 558,  623 

E. 

Ebal,  a  mountain  of  Palestine 245 

Ebed,  father  of  Gaal 285 

Ebedmelech  rescues  Jeremiah 549 

Ebenezer,  Israelites  defeated  there.  301 

so  called  by  Samuel 302 

Eber,  son  of  Salaii,  descendant  of 

Shem 18 

Echatana;  Darius  flees  thither...Cbra.  6 

Ecclesiastes,  autliorship  of. 609 

scope  of 610 

Ecclesiasticus,  or  Wisdom  of  Jesus 

son  of  Sirach Con.  109 

Edar,  a  tower 59 

Eden,  garden  of,  situation...4  and  note 

Edom,  or  Esau  ("red") 43 

land  of,  Israelites  refused  a 

passage  through 226 

wilderness  of. 429 

Edomites,  history  of Int.    22 

defeated  by  Saul 308 

rendered  tributary  by  David..  329 

subject  to  Solomon 352 

defeated  by  Amaziah 464 

Ed  re i,  Og  defeated  at 229 

Eglon,  king  of  Moab 259 

slain  by  Ehud 276 

Egypt,  geography  and  history  of, 

Int.  2-6 
peopled  by  descendants  of  Miz- 

raim,  son  of  Ham 7 

Abram,  goes  thither 21 

Joseph  carried  thither 61 

Ehud,  a  judge,  delivers  Israel  from 

Moabiies 276 

Ekron,  a  government  of  the  Philis- 
tines  277,  TWte 

Elah,  son  of  Baaslia,  king  of  Israel.  392 

Elam,  son  of  Shem 16 

Elath 357 

Eleazar,  made  high  priest 226 

dies 267 

brother  of  Simon  the  Just.... Ow.  11 
brother  of  JudasMaccabceus..Cb«.  27 

Eli,  high  priest 293 

liis  criminal  leniencv  toward 

his  sons 299 

prophecy  of  Samuel  against 

him 300 

his  death 301 

Eliab,  eldest  son  of  Jesse 308 

Eliadah,  father  of  Rezon 362 

Eliakim,   or  Jehoiakim,  king  of 

Judah,  son  of  Josiah 530 

Eliezer,  Abraham's  servant 38 

son  of  Moses 106 

a  prophet 398 

Elihu  the  Buzite  reproves  Job  and 

his  three  friends 600 

Elijah,  summary  of  his  life. ...428,  note 

Elini,  Israelites  wander  to 102 

Elimelech,  husband  of  Naomi 305 


358 


INDEX. 


Sect. 
Eliphaz  the  Tenianite,  Job's  friend  599 
Elisha,  summary  of  liis  life. ...463,  note 

Elkanah,  father  of  Samuel 298 

Elkosli,  or  Elkosha,  a  village  in 

Galilee 637 

Ellasar 24 

Elon,a  judge 293 

Endor,  witch  of,  Saul  consults  her.  320 
Engedi,  David's  forbearance  there.  317 

English  translation  of  Bible Int.63 

Enoch,  son  of  Cain 8 

son  of  Jared,  descendant  of 

Seth 9 

Enos,  son  of  Seth 9 

Ephod,  the 160 

Ephraiin,  sou  of  Joseph,  born 67 

blessed  bv  Jacob 72 

territory 'of  his  tribe 263 

Ephraiin,   wood   of,  Absalom  de- 
feated there 342,  note 

Ephratji,  Benjamin  born  and  Ra- 
chel buried  there 58 

Er,  son  of  Judah  and  the  daughter 

of  Shuah 62 

Esarli addon,  colonizes  Samaria 507 

reigns 510,554 

Esau,  horn 40 

sells  his  birthright 43 

marries  Judith  and  Bashemath.  45 

loses  his  father's  blessing 46 

marries  Mahalath 48 

meets   Jacob   on    his    return 

from  Haran 55 

"Esdras,  books  of Con.  103,  104 

Eshcol,  an  Amorite,  joins  Abram..    24 

f'sseues,  a  sect  of  the  Jews Con.  93 

Esther,  her  historv 593 

the  book  of 593,  594 

apocryphal  chapters  of Con.  107 

Etam,  a  rock 296 

Etham,  a  writer  of  the  Psalms 604 

Ethbaal,  king   of  the  Zidonians, 

father  of  Jezeljel 401  and  note 

Ethiopia,  geography  of... ..510  and  7ioie 
Ethiopians,  the,  descended  from 

Ham 15 

TCuphrates,  a  river  of  Eden 4 

Eve,  created  ;  given  to  Adam  and 

named  by  him 4 

tempted;  tempts  Adam,  and 
the  curse  upon  her  ;  clothed 
in  skins  and  expelled  Para- 
dise       5 

her  sons 7,  8,  9 

Evilmerodach,  releases  Jehoiachiu.  562 

succeeds  Nebuchadnezzar 625 

Exodus,  contents  of  the  book p.  68 

Expiation,  feast  of 192 

Ezekiel,   carried    to    Babylon   by 

Nebuchadnezzar 543 

his  life  and  prophecies 620 

Ezion-geber,  a  port  on  the  Red  Sea.  357 
Jehoshaphat    builds    a    navy 

there 419 

Ezra,  probably  wrote  the  Books  of 

Chronicles 556 


Sect. 
Ezra,  conducts  a  caravan  of  Jews 

to  Judaea .584 

his  governorship 585 

corrects  the  canon  of  Scripture.  586 
dies;  supposed  same  as  Mala- 

chi 587 

the  book  of,  Analysis p.  245 

F. 

Fall,  the 5 

Firmament  created 1 

First-fruits  and  firstlings 181,  182 

Fishes  created 1 

Fornication,  law  against 121 

Furniture  of  the  Hoiv  Place. ..141-143 
Most  Holy... .144-147 
court 149,  150 

G. 

Gaal,   son  of  Ebed,  defeated  by 

Abimelech 285 

Gabinius,  sent  by  Pompey  to  Je- 
rusalem  Con.  61 

changes  the  government... Con.  64 

Gad,  son  of  Zilpah,  born 50 

Jacob's    prophecy   respecting 

him 72 

the  territory  of  his  tribe 263 

a  prophet,  directs  David 314 

sent  to  David .348 

Gadi,  father  of  Menahem 484 

Galileans,  the  sect  of. Con.  102 

Gath,  a  government  of  the  Philis- 
tines  277,  note 

taken  by  David 329 

Gath-hepher,  in  Galilee 635 

Gaza,  a  government  of  the  Philis- 
tines  277,  note 

Samson's  exploit  there 297 

taken  by  Hnphra,  or  Apries...  547 
Gedaliah,  appointed  governor  over 

Judah;  slain 552 

Gehazi,  Elisha's  servant ;  Naaman's 
leprosy  transferred  to  him, 

430,  463,  note 

Genesis,  Analysis  of p.  35 

Gerar,  Abraham  removes  thither..    32 

Isaac  goes  there 44 

Gerizim,  temple  built  on   Mount, 

507,  and  Co7i.  3 

Gershom,  son  of  Moses,  born 83 

circumcised 85 

brought  to  him  by  Jethro 106 

Gershoniies,  a  family  of  the  Levites  164 
For  their  charge  and  situation 
see  p.  91. 
Geshur,  Absalom  flies  to  the  king 

of 335 

Geshurites,  a  nomad  race  on  south- 
ern border  of  Palestine 261 

David  makes  excursions  against 

them 319  and  note 

Gezerites,  a  nomad  race  on  south- 
ern   border    of    Palestine; 


INDEX. 


359 


Sect. 
l>avid     makes     excursions 

against  them 319  and  nofe 

Gibbethon,  Nadab  slain  there 383 

Gibeah,  a  murder  in  thestreets  of; 
talcen  by  the  eleven  tribes, 

273  and  notp, 
Gibeon,  a  city  of  the  Gibeonites...  258 
Gibeonites,  the  first  of  the  Nethi- 

nim 165 

deceive  Joshua 258 

atonement  for  Saul's  slaughter 

of  the 346 

Gideon,  judgeship  of 279 

called,  and  throws  down  altar 

of  Baal 210 

defeats  the  Midianites 281 

refuses  to  be  king;  dies 282 

Gilboa,  a  mountain  of  Palestine...  245 
defeat    and    suicide    of    Saul 

there 321 

Gilead,  a  mountain  of  Palestine, 

245  and  note 
Gilgal,  twelve  stoJies  pitched  there.  254 

a  national  assembly  at 306 

Girgashites,     their     position     in 

Canaan  23 

war  with 261 

Gittites,  follow  David 338  and  note 

Godhead,  plurality  of  persons  in..      2 

Golan,  a  city  of  refuge 236 

Goliath,  slain  by  David 310 

Gomer,  son  of  Japheth,  father  of 

the  Cimbri 14 

Gomorrah,    Abraham    intercedes 

for  it 30 

destruction  of 31 

Gonorrhoea,  purification  from 206 

Gorgias Con.  24 

Goshen,  land  of,  assigned  to  Israel- 
ites  70  and  note 

Greeks,  the,  descended  from  Ja- 
pheth      14 

H. 

Habakkuk,  his  prophecies 522,  638 

Hadad,  a  prince  of  Edom 362 

Hadadezer,  king  of  Zobah  ;  David's 

victory  over 329,  331 

his  servant  Rezon  seizes  Da- 
mascus  362,  493,  note 

Hadassah,  Hebrew  name  of  Esther.  593 
Hagar,  becomes  Abram's  concu- 
bine; bears  Ishniael 27 

exiled 34 

Haggai,  incites  the  Jews  to  recom- 
mence building 578 

his  predictions 640 

Ham,  son  of  Noah,  cursed 12 

his  posterity 15 

Haman,  a  favorite  of  Ahasuerus, 

hanged 593 

Hamoth,  a  Syrian  state 329,  530 

Hamor,  father  of  Shechem 56 

Hauani,  the  prophet,  remonstrates 

with  Asa 381,  390 


Sect. 

Hanani,  brother  of  Nehemiah 589 

Hananiah,  a  false  prophet 545 

brother  of  Nehemiah 5  9 

Hebrew  name  of  Shadrach....  621 

Hannah,  mother  of  Samuel 298 

Hanun,  son  of  Nab  ash  ;  conduct 

to  David 331 

Haran,   son   of  Terah,  father  of 

Lot 19,  20 

a  place  in  Mesopotamia 20 

Hareth,  forest  of 314 

Harosheth 278 

Haroth-jair— i.  e.  villages  of  Jair..  287 

Havilah,  situation  of 308  and  note 

Hazael,  king  of  Syria;  Elijah  or- 
dered to  anoint  him. .410,  428,  note 
accession  of,  foretold  by  Polish  a, 

438,  463,  note 
seizes    the    territory  east    of 

Jordan 453,  455 

stifles  Benhadad  I.;  summary 

of  history  of 492,  note 

Hazeroth,  Aaron  and  Miriam  sin 

there 220 

Hazor 260,  278 

Heber,  the  husband  of  Jael 278 

Hebron,  a  city  of  refuge 236 

the  king  of,  defeated  by  Josh  ua.259 
Hebron,  the  sons  of  Anak  driven 

out  from 264 

David  proclaimed  there 323 

Heirships,  law  respecting 128 

Helam,  Hadadezer  defeated  at 331 

Heliodorus,  treasurer  of  Seleucus 

Philopator Con.  15 

Heliopolis,  temple  built  there  by 

Onias Con.  29 

Heman,  a  writer  of  the  Psalms 604 

Hermon,  Mount 229,  245 

Herod  the  Great,  temple  of 360,  note 

appointed  governor  of  Galilee, 

Con.  67 

espouses  Mariarane Con.  69 

made  tetrarch  by  Antony..Con.  70 

escapes  to  Rome Con.  71 

obtains  the  kingdom  from  the 

Triumvirate Con.  72 

reduces  Antigonus Con.  73 

massacres  the  Sanhedrim....Con.  74 
appoints  Ananel  high  priest, 

Con.  75 
deposes    him,    elevates    and 

murders  Aristobulus Con.  76 

propitiates  Antony Con.  11 

first    secret    instructions   re- 
specting Mariamne Cbn.  78 

conciliates  Augustus;  is  con- 
firmed on  the  throne Con.  79 

second  secret  instructions  re- 
specting Mariamne Con.  80 

introduces  heathen  customsCbn.  81 

rebuilds  the  temple Con.  83 

his  generosity Con.  84 

executes  Mariamne's  sons..Cow.  85 
his  sickness  and  cruelty. ...Con.  88 
executes  Antipater Con.  89 


S60 


INDEX. 


Sect. 
Herod,  his  death  and  character, 

Con.  90,  91 

Herodians,  rise  of  the Osn.  67 

sect  of Con.  102 

Hezekiah,  Icing  of  Judah,  breaks 

brazen  serpent 228,  502 

sonofAhaz,  duration  of  reign.  501 
restores  the  worship  of  Jeho- 
vah   504 

rebels  against  Shahiiaiieser....  506 

submits  to  Sennacherib 508 

his    sickness ;     fifteen    years 

added  to  his  life 511 

his  vanity 512 

peaceful  state  of  Judah 513 

Hezion.    See  Rezon. 

Hiddekel,  the,  a  river  of  Eden 4 

Hiel,  the  Bethelite,  rebuilds  Jeri- 
cho  256,  418 

High  priest,  the,  liis  office 157 

his  typical  character 158 

his  robes,  etc 159-163 

history  of  them  to  return  from 

the  Captivity p.  252 

Hilkiah,  father  of  Jeremiah,  finds 

a  copy  of  the  Law 524 

Hinnora,  valley  of 515 

Hippodrome,  the,  at  Jericho ;  Jews 

shut  up  in  it Con.  89 

Hirah,  a  Canaanite 62 

Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  assists  David.  326 

an  ally  of  Solomon 357 

Historical  books,  account  of In(.  56 

History  of  Susanna Con.  112 

Hittites,   the,    their    position    in 

Canaan 23 

conquered  by  Joshua 261 

Hivites,  conquered  by  Joshua 261 

Hobab,  brother-in-law  of  Moses...  216 

Hobah,  north  of  Damascus 24 

Hoham,  king  of  Hebron,  slain  by 

Joshua  259 

Holofernes,  beheaded   by  Judith, 

Con.  106 
Hophni,  son  of  Eli,  misconduct  of.  299 

death  of 301 

Hophra  (see  Pharaoh) 547 

Hor,  Mount,  Aaron  dies  there 226 

Horeb,  Mount,  Moses  called  at 84 

Elijah  goes  there 410 

Hormah    ("utter    destruction"), 

Canaanites  defeated  at 227 

Hosea,  his  propliecies  and  time, 

469-631 
Hoshea,  king  of  Israel,  son  of  Elah, 

slays  Pekah 495 

duration  of  reign..... 497 

allows  Hezekiah  to  invite  the 

people  to  the  passover 498 

made    tributary    to    Shalma- 

neser 500 

rebels,  and  is  imprisoned 503 

Huldah,  the  prophetess 524 

Hur,  holds  up  Moses'  liands 105 

with  Aaron,  has  the  charge  of 
the  people 109 


Sect. 
Hushai,  the  Archite,  joins  Absa- 
lom   338 

defeats    Ahithophel's     coun- 
sel   340 

Hyrcanus,  John,  escapes  to  Jeru- 
salem   Con,  42 

succeeds  Simon  as  high  priest. 

Con.  43 
besieged  byAntiochusSidetes, 

Con.U 
regains     his     independence; 
raises  Asamonean  power.... Cbn.  45 

joins  the  Sadducees Con.  46 

Hyrcanus  II.,  son  of  Alexandra, 

high  priest Con.  55 

resigns  the  kingdom  and  high 

priesthood Con.  57 

Pompey    arbitrates    between 

him  and  Aristobulus Con.  60 

restored  by  Pompey Con.  61 

confirmed  by  Gabinius  in  high 

priesthood Con.  64 

joins  Malichus Cbn.  69 

barbarously  mutilated Con.  71 

I. 

Ibzan,  a  judge 292 

Iddo,  grandfather  of  Zechariah...  641 

Idolatry,  law  against 112 

Injuries,  corporal,  law  of 117 

Isaac,  born 33 

Abraham  commanded  to  offer 

him 36 

a  type  of  Christ 36,  note 

marries  Rebekah 38 

Jacob  and  Esau  born 40 

goes    to  Gerar    and  deceives 

Abimelech 44 

blesses  Jacob 46 

Jacob  comes  to  reside  with 

him;   his  death 60 

Isaiah,  begins  to  prophesy 480 

his  predictions  to  Ahaz 491 

his  life  and  period 613 

scope  of  his  prophecies 614 

chief  subjects  of  his  prophe- 
cies   615 

his  prophecies  of  the  Messiah.  616 

Iscah  (see  Sarai) 19 

Ishbi-benob,  a  gigantic  Philistine, 

slain  byAbishai 347 

Ishbosheth,  son  of   Saul,  reigns 

over  eleven  tribes 323 

quarrels  with  Abner 324 

murdered  by  his  two  captains.  325 
Ishmael,    son    of    Hagar,    born ; 

prophecy  respecting  him 27 

exiled;  becomes  a  great  ar- 
cher;    his    children,    and 

death 34 

Ishmaelites,  Joseph  sold  to  them..    61 
Israel.    See  Jacob. 

history  of  the  divided  mon- 
archy of 365 

Issachar,  son  of  Leah,  born 50 


INDEX. 


361 


Sect. 
Issacbar,    Jacob's    prophecy    i-e- 

specting  him ' 72 

the  territory  of  his  tribe 263 

Issiis,  Darius  routed  at Con.  5 

Ithamar,  youngest  son  of  Aaron...  231 
Ittai,  the  Gittite,  follows  David....  338  | 

sent  to  battle  by  David 341 

Itursea,  subdued  by  Aristobuhis, 

Co7i.  48 


Jabal,  son  of  Adah  and  Lamech...      8 

Jabbok,  a  river 245 

Jabesli-KHcad,  four  hundred  vir- 
gins of,  sent  to  the  Benja- 

mites 274 

besieged  by  Nabash 306 

Jabesh-gileadi'tes  bury  the  bodies 

of  Saul  and  his  sons 321 

Jabin,  king  of  Hazor,  defeated  by 

Joshua 260 

defeated  by  Barak 278 

Jacob,  born  ;  why  so  named 40 

obtains  Esau's  birthright 43 

his  father's  blessing...    46 

goes  to  Laban  ;  his  dream 47 

marries  Leah  and  Rachel 49 

his  family 50 

his  new  covenant  with  Laban..    51 
leaves,  and    is    pursued    by 

Laban  ;  reconciled 52 

his  vision  at  Mahanaim  ;  mes- 
sage to  Esau 53 

wrestles  with  a  man  atPeniel; 

name  changed  to  Israel 54 

meeting  with  Esau 55 

dwells  at  Succoth 56 

buries  the  idols  and  goes  to 
Bethel ;  God's  promise  re- 
newed     57 

leaves  Bethel 58 

joins  his  father  at  Manire 60 

deceived  by  his  children 61 

sends  his  sons  to  Egypt  for 

corn 68 

sends  Benjamin 69 

goes  to  Egypt 70 

his  dving  acts  and  prophecies.    72 

Their  fulfilment 73 

his  death  and  burial 74 

Jaddua,  son    of   Jonathan,   high 

priest Con.  3 

Jaddua,  saluted  by  Alexander... Cbra.  5 

Jael,  slays  Sisera 278 

Jabaziel,  a  prophet 398 

Jair,  a  judge 2S7 

Jamnia,  a  seaport  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean  Con.  24 

Japheth,  son  of  Noah 12 

his  posterity 14 

Japhia,  king  of  Lachish,  slain  by 

Joshua 259 

Jarmuth,  Piram,king  of,  slain  by 

Joshua 259 

Jared,  father  of  Enoch 9 

Jasher,  book  of 2G0,  note,  and  269 

31 


Sect. 
Jason,  introduces  Greek  idolatry 

among  the  Jews Om.  16 

supplanted    by  Menelaus    in 

high  priesthood Con.  17 

Javan,  descendant  of  Japheth,  fa- 
ther of  the  Greeks 14 

Jebusites,  position  in  Canaan 23 

subdued  by  Joshua 261 

Jerusalem   taken  from  them 

by  David 326 

Jeconiah.    See  Jehoiachin. 
Jeduthun,  a  writer  of  the  Psalms...  604 
Jehoahaz,  king  of  Israel,  son  of 

Jehu;  duration  of  reign 457 

his    idolatry ;    oppressed    by 

Hazael,  etc 458 

Jehoahaz,  king  of  Judah,  son  of 

Josiah 5''9 

deposed  by  Necho 530 

Jehoash,  king  of  Judah,  son   of 

Ahaziah  ;  duration  of  reign.  448 
restores  the   worship  of   Je- 
hovah   449 

repairs  the  temple 452 

worships     Baal;     commands 

Zechariah  to  be  stoned 454 

bribes  Hazael 456 

slain  by  his  servants 459 

Jehoash,  king  of  Israel,  son  of  Je- 
hoahaz ;  duration  of  reign...  461 
his  idolatry  ;  Elisha's  promise, 

463  and  note 
defeats  Syrians  three  times...  4(i5 

defeats  Amnziah 467 

Jehoiachin,  king  of  Judah,  son  of 
Jehoiakini;      duration     of 

reign 542 

carried  away  captive  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar   543 

Jehoiada,  the  high  priest 446 

regent 449 

his  death 454 

Jehoiakim,  son  of  Josiah ;  dura- 
tion of  reign 531 

Jeremiah  and  Urijah  prophesy 

against  him 532 

charged    by    Jeremiah    with 

murder  of  Urijah 533 

made  tributary  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar  .". 537 

seeks  to  destroy  Jeremiah 588 

revolts 539 

slain 540 

Jehonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab, 

meets  Jehu  445 

obedience  of  Rechabites  to....  534 
Jehoram,  king  of  Israel,  son   of 

Ahab;  duration  of  reign....  426 

his  idolatry 427 

allies  with  Jehoshaphat 429 

seeks  to  slay  Elisha 433 

slain  by  Jehu 441 

Jehoram,  king  of  Judah,  son  of 
Jehoshaphat;   duration    of 

reign 4.34 

his  idolatry 43» 


362 


INDEX. 


Sect. 
Jehoram,  king  of  Judali,  his  death.  436 
Jehoshaphat,  king  of  Judah,  son 

of  Asa;  duration  of  reign..  398 

worships  Jehovah 400 

organizes  the  national  educa- 
tion   402 

fortifies    Judah ;     levies    an 

army 404 

appoints  judges 407 

flourishing  state  of  his  king- 
dom   408 

his  affinity  with  Ahab 409 

nearly  killed  at  Ramoth 415 

rebuked  by  Jehu 416 

tries  to  revive  the  commerce 

of  Solomon,  etc 419 

defeats  Moabites  and  Ammon- 
ites   422 

allies  vfith  Jehoram 4  9 

Jehosheba,  wife  of  Jehoiada,  saves 

Joash 446 

Jehovah-jireh  ("  the  Lord  will  pro- 
vide"), so  called  by  Abra- 
ham      36 

Jehovah-nissi  ("  the  Lord  my  ban- 
ner"),   an    altar    built    by 

Moses lOo 

Jehu,  son  of  Hanani,  a  prophet...  38J 
Jehu,   son    of   Nimshi,   anointed 
king  of  Israel  ;    slays  Aha- 

ziah  and  Jehoram 441,  442 

king  of   Israel ;    duration  of 

reign 444 

slays  Jezehel 445 

des"troys  Baal's  worshippers....  450 

his  idolatry 455 

Jephthah,  judgeship  of 288 

captain  of  a  band  of  men  in 

Tob 289 

sends  to  the  king  of  Amnion.  290 
defeats  Ammonites;  his  vow...  291 

Jeremiah,  prophesies 521-531 

prophesies  against  Jehoiakim.  532 
charges  liiui  with  the  murder 

of  Urijah 533 

foretells  seventy  years'  cap- 
tivity   534 

prophecies  publicly  read 538 

writes  to  the  captives  o£  Baby- 
lon   545 

cast  into  a  pit 549 

his    prophecy  against    Zede- 

kiah 550 

his  life  and  period 617 

Jericho,  spies  sent  thither 253 

taken  bv  Joshua 256 

rebuilt  by  Hiel 418 

Jeroboam,  son  of  Nebat,  prom- 
ised the  government  of  ten 
tribes  hy  Ahijah ;    flies   to 

Egypt... 362 

returns  from  Egypt 364 

king  of  Israel ;   duration  of 

reign 371 

fortifies Shechem 373 

his  idolatrj' 374 


Sect. 
Jeroboam,  man  of  God  sent  to ;  his 

hand  withered 377 

Ahijah's     prophecy     against 

him 380 

Jeroboam  II.,  son  of  Joash ;   du- 
ration of  reign 469 

Jonah's  promise 471 

recovers  all  Hazael  had  taken 

away  ;  his  idolatry 473 

Jerubbaal  ("  let  Baal  plead"),  name 

given  to  Gideon 280 

Jerusalem,  taken  by  David 326 

description  of. 326,  note 

capital  of  Judah  ;  calTed  Sa- 
lem and  Jehus p.  201 

taken  by  Joash,  king  of  Is- 
rael   467 

Nebuchadnezzar...  550 

sacked  by  Nebuzaradan 551 

Alexander  visits Cbw.  5 

taken   by  Antiochus  Epiph- 

anes Con.  18 

Pompey Con.  61 

Herod  the  Great. Con.  73 

Jeshua,  grandson  of  Seraiah 572 

high  priest 574 

Jesse,  son  of  Obed .305 

father  of  David 309 

Jesus.    See  Jason. 

Jethro,     priest    of    Midian ;   his 

daughters  meet  with  Moses.    83 

his  advice  to  Moses 106 

Jewish  constitution,  account  of, 

133  and  note 
See  Assemblies,  legislative. 
connection  of  the  tribes  with 

each  other 137 

the  tribunal  of  seventy  insti- 
tuted by  Moses 138 

Jezebel,  daughter  of  Ethbaal,  mar- 
ries Ahab 401 

persecutes  the  prophets 405 

threatens  Elijah 410 

advises  Ahab  to  seize  Naboth's 

vineyard 414 

slain  by  Jehu 445 

Joab,  son  of  Zeruiah,  slays  Abner.  324 

made  chief  captain 826 

conquers  Ammonites  and  Syr- 
ians   331 

reduces  Kabbah 333 

mediates    between    Absalom 

and  David 336 

marches  against  Absalom 341 

slays  Absalom 342 

superseded  in    command  by 

Amasa 344 

slays  Amasa 345 

remonstrates  with  David  on 
his  numbering  the  people.  348 

slain  by  Benaiah 358 

his  character 354 

Joash,  father  of  Gideon 280 

See  Jehoash. 
Job,  chronology  of  the  time  of.....  595 
his  country 596- 


INDEX. 


Sect. 
.  597 
.  598 
.  599 


601 
602 


Job,  his  conditiou  and  character.. 

afflicted  by  Satan 

visited  by  his  three  friends... 

reproved  by  Elihu 

Jehovah  appears  to  him 

is  restored  to  prosperity 

prophetical  intimation  of  Mes- 
siah in  book  of 603 

Joehebed,  mother  of  Moses 82 

Joel,  son  of  Samuel 302 

Joel,  prophesies 470,  632 

Johanan,  a  chief  officer  ot  Geda- 

liah 552 

John  Hyrcanus.    See  Hyrcanus. 

Jonah,  prophesies 451 

his  history  ;  sent  against  Nin- 
eveh   635 

Jonathan,  son  of  Saul :  his  heroic 

conduct 307 

his  friendship  with  David 312 

his  death 321 

Jonathan,  son  of  Abiathar 338 

the  high  priest Con.2 

{See  Maccab.eus) Con.  31 

Joram,  son  of  Toi,  king  of  Hamath, 

visits  David 329 

See  Jehoram. 
Jordan,  the,  crossed  by  the  Israel- 
ites   254 

Joseph,  son  of  Rachel,  born oO 

sold  by  his  brethren 61 

sold  to  Potiphar  and  cast  into 

prison 63 

interprets  the  dreams  of  the 

butler  and  the  baker 

interprets  the  dreams  of  Pha- 
raoh  

made  chief  ruh^r   of  Egypt; 

marries  Asenath 

his  sons 

his  brethren  visit  liim 

a  second  time ; 
sends  for  his  lather  and  fam- 
ily  •. 

his  policy  during  the  famine, 

71,  note 
Jacob's  prophecy  respecting 

him .—    72 

buries  Jacob '4 

again  forgives  his  brethren...     75 

death  and  burial 76 

a  type  of  Christ 77 

burial  of  his  bones  in  Canaan.  267 

Joseph, a  son  of  Antipater Co7i..&7 

executed  by  Herod  the  Great, 

Co7i.  78 
Joshua,  previous  life  of;  his  name 

changed 252  and  nofe 

defeats  the  Amalekites 105 

attends  Moses  in  the  mount...  109 
one  of  the  twelve  spies;  his 

conduct 222 

appointed  Moses'  successor.235, 239 

seuds  spies  to  Jericho 253 

crosses  the  Jordau 254 

an  angel  appears  to  him 255 


64 


65 


69 


Sect. 

Joshua,  takes  Jericho 256 

takes  Ai ;  punishes  Achan 257 

allies  with  the  Gibeonites 258 

defeats  Adonizedek  and  four 

kings 259 

defeats  Northern  kings 260 

divides    Canaan    among    the 

tribes 263 

district  assigned  to  liim 264 

his  last  days  and  death 266,  267 

Joshua,   book  of.  Analysis  of  its 

contents P- 136 

Joshua,  a  Bethshemite 302 

Joshua,  slain  in  the  temple  by  his 

brother  Jonathan Con.  'J. 

Josiah,    king    of   Judah,    son    of 

Araon;  duration  of  reign...  518 

worships  Jehovah 519 

repairs  the  temple 623 

throws  down  the  altar  of  Je- 
roboam   525 

celebrates  the  passover 526 

slain 528 

Jotham,  Gideon's  son 28d 

his  parable  of  the  trees 284 

Jotham,   king  of   Judah,  son    of 

Uzziah  ;  duration  of  reign..  481 

reigns  righteously 483 

Jubal,  son  of  Lamech  and  Adah, 

descendant  of  Cain 8 

Jubilee,  the l^o 

Judah,  son  of  Leah,  born 50 

proposes  to  sell  Joseph 61 

marries  the  daughter  of  Shu- 
ah;    his    sons,    and    incest 

with  Tamar 62 

his  address  to  Joseph 69 

Jacob's   prophecy   respecting 

him 72 

the  territory  of  his  tribe 263 

defeats  Adonibezek 270 

prefatory  history  of  the  king- 
dom   365 

Judas  Maccabseus.    See  Maccab- 

JEUS.  ^    , 

Judges,  book  of,  obscurity  of  chro- 
nology, and  Analysis  of  its 

contents -P- 145 

Judgeships,  the ^^^in« 

Judith,  book  of. Con.  106 

K. 

Kadesh-barnea,  spies  sent  thence.  221 

Israelites  return  thither 22o 

Kadmonites,  a  people  of  Canaan..    23 

Kedesh.acity  of  refuge 236 

Keilah.  David  rescues  it  from  the 

Philistines 316 

Kenites,  a  people  of  Canaan 23 

Kenizzites,  a  people  of  Canaan 23 

Keturah  marries  Abraham;   her 

sons 39 

Kibroth-hattaavah  ("the  graves 
of  lust"),  Israelites  mur- 
mur there  for  flesh 213 


364 


INDEX. 


Sect. 

Kings,  Analytical  Table  of p.  166 

Kir-haraseth,  capital  of  Moabites, 
besieged   bv  Jehoram   and 

Jelioshaphat 429 

Kisb,  father  of  Situl 303 

Kishon,  a  river  of  Palestine 245 

Baal's    prophets   slaughtered 

at 406 

Kobathites,  a   family  of  the  Le- 

vites 164 

their  charge  and  situation. ...p.  91 

Korah,  rebellion  of. 223 

Psalms  ascribed  to  the  sons  of.  604 

li. 

Laban,  brother  of  Rebekah 47 

welcomes  Jacob ;  deceives  him.    49 

new  covenant  with  Jacob 51 

pursues  Jacob;  is  reconciled 

to  him 52 

Laborasoarchod,  son  of  Neriglissor.  564 
son-in-law  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  625 
Labynetus,   name   given   to    Bel- 

shazzar  by  Herodotus 565 

Lachish,  reduced  by  Joshua 259 

Araaziah  slain  there 468 

Laish,  taken    by  Danites;   called 

Dan 272 

Lamech,  son    of  Methusael,  de- 
scendant of  Cain 8 

son  of  Methuselah,  father  of 

Noah 9 

Lamentations,  book  of. 619 

Land,  dry,  created 1 

Landmarks,  law  respecting 124 

Language,  original,  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament   Int.  60 

but  one    after  the  death  of 

Noah 17 

Lapidoth,  husband  of  Deborah....  278 

Laver,  the 150 

Law,  the  moral,  given 108 

the  ceremonial 109 

Lawyers Con.  101 

Leah,  daughter  of  Laban,  marries 

Jacob 49 

her  children 50 

I.ehi,  Samson  taken  there 296 

Leprosy,  how  Moses  acted  respect- 
ing   207 

different  kinds 208 

first,  in  man 209 

laws,  for  distinguishing 210 

purification  from 211 

second,  in  houses 212 

third,  in  clothes 213 

Levi,  son  of  Leah,  born 50 

his  cruelty  to  the  Shechem- 

ites 56 

Jacob's    prophecy  respecting 

him 72 

the  tribe,  slay  3000  of  the  idol- 
aters   110 

devoted  to  temple-service..l53-164 
Levites,  the 164 


Sect. 
Leviticus,   Analysis    of  its   con- 
tents   p.  96 

typical  intimations  in 214 

Libnah,  reduced  by  Joshua.... 259 

besieged  by  Sennacherib 509 

Light,  creation  of 1 

Lot,  son  of  Haran 19 

leaves  Ur  with  Abram 20 

dwells  at  Sodom 22 

rescued  by  Abram 24 

escapes  from  Sodom  ;  fate  of 
his    wife;    incest   with    his 

daughters 31 

Lud,  descendant  of  Shem,  father 

of  Lydians 16 

Lydiaus,     the,    descended    from 

Shem 16 

Lysias  invades  Judaea ;  defeated  by 

Judas  Maccabseus 25 

Lysimachus,  a  general  of  Alex- 
ander  Con.  9 

M. 

Maacah,  a  king  in  North  Pales- 
tine   331 

Maachah,  grandmother  of  Asa,  de- 
posed by  him , 384 

Maachathites,  war  with 261 

Maccabaeus    (Hammerer),    Judas, 

tiiird  son  of  Mattathias... Cow.  20 
restores  the  temple;  institutes 

feast  of  dedication Con.  22 

his  victories Cow.  24,  25 

his  wars Con.  24-27 

peace  with  Syria Con.  25,  28 

defeats    force    of    Demetrius 

Soter Con.  29 

allies  with  Eome;  slain Con.  30 

Jonathan,  brother  of  Judas, 
chosen  leader  by  the  peo- 
ple  Con.  31 

war  with  Bacchides Con.  32 

made  high  priest Con.  33 

assists  Antiochus Con.  35 

allies  with  Rome  and  Lacedse- 

mon  ;  fortifies  Judaea Con.  36 

falls  by  the  treachery  of  Try- 

phon Con.  37 

Simon,    second    son    of   Mat- 

tathias.... Con.  20 

succeeds  Jonathan Con.  38 

completes  fortifications;  re- 
duces Acra Con.  39 

public  memorial  of  his  acts ; 
his    powers    recognized   bv 

Eome Con.  40 

his  murder Con.  41 

Maccabees,  rule  of Con.  20 

books  of Con.  115-117 

Machir,  son  of  Ammiel,  succors 

David 341 

Machpelah,  cave    of,   purchased ; 
the  burial-place  of  Sarah,  of 

Rebekah,  and  of  Leah 37 

of  Abraham 41 


INDEX. 


365 


Sect. 

Machpelah,  burial-place  of  Jacob.    74 

of  Joseph 267 

Madai,  father  of  Medes,  descend- 
ant of  Japheth 14 

Magog,  father  of  Scythians,  de- 
scendant of  Jap'heth 14 

Mahalaleel,  son  of  Cainan,  de- 
scendant of  Seth 9 

Mahalath,  daughter  of  Ishmael...    34 

marries  Esau 48 

Mahanaim  ("  God's  host "),  Jacob 

met  by  angels  there 53 

Makkedah,  cave  of,  live  kings  take 

refuge  in 259 

Malachi,  prophesies 592 

his  prophecies 642 

Malichus,  poisons  Antipater ;  death 

of. Con.  68 

faction  of Con.  69,  70 

Mamre,  Abram  dwells  there, 

22  and  note 

an  Amorite,  assists  Abram 24 

Man  created  and  blessed 1-3 

Manasseh,  son  of  Joseph  ;  born...     67 

blessed  by  Jacob 72 

territory  of  his  tribe..263  and  note 
Manasseh,  king  of  Judah,  son  of 

Hezekiah  ;  duration  of  reign.  514 

his  idolatry 515 

Manasseh,  carried  into  captivity 

by  Esarhaddon 516 

Prayer  of Con.  114 

Manasses,  high  priest  of  Samaria, 

Con.  3 

Manna,  sent 102 

properties  of;  Aaron  lays  up 

an  omer 103 

a  type  of  Christ 152 

ceases 255 

Manoah,  a  Danite,  father  of  Sam- 
son    296 

Manslaughter,  law  against 116 

Maon,  wilderness  of;  David  goes 

there 316 

Marah  ("  bitter  "),  Moses  heals  the 

water  of 102 

Marathon,  battle  of 582 

Mariamne,  granddaughter  of  Hyr- 

canus,  espoused  to  Herod.Con.68 

her  marriage Con.  73 

first    secret    instructions   re- 
specting her Con.  78 

second  secret  instructions  re- 
specting her,  and  death..  Cow.  80 

her  sons  executed Con.  ^5 

Marriage,  instituted 4  and  note 

unlawful  marriages 119 

Massah       ("  temptation "),      {see 

Meribaii) 104 

Mattan,  a  priest  of  Baal,  slain  by 

Jehoiada 449 

Mattaniah,    king    of  Judah    {see 

Zedekiah) 543 

Mattathias,  a  priest ;  revolt  of  Jews 
under ;  father  of  Judas  Mac- 
cabseus Con.  20 

31  * 


Sect. 

Matri,  Saul's  family 303 

Matrimonial  laws 119-122 

Medes,  descended  from  Japheth...     14 
Media,  History  and  Geography  of. 

Int.  48,  49 

Megabyzus 588 

Megiddo,  Ahaziah  slain  at 442 

Josiah  slain  in  valley  of. 528 

Mehujael,  son  of  Irad,  descendant 

of  Cain 8 

Melchizedek,  king  of  Salem  ;  meets 

Abram 24 

his  character  and  office 2.t 

psalms  ascribed  to  him 604 

Menahem,  king  of  Israel,  assassi- 
nates Shallum 482 

his  idolatry;  duration  of  reign.  484 

bribes  Pul 486 

Mene 627 

Meuelaus,  supplants  Jason  in  high 

priestliood Con.  17  and  nod 

guides    Antiochus    into    the 

temple Con.  18  and  note 

Menses,  purification  from 20G 

Men-stealing,  law  against 125 

Mephibosheth,  son  of  Jonathan ; 

adopted  by  David 330 

falsely  reported  to  David  by 

Ziba 338 

testifies  his  loyalty  to  David...  343 

Merab,  Saul's  eldest  daughter 310 

promised  to  David 311 

Merarites,  a  family  of  the  Levites.  164 
(For  their  cliarge  and  situa- 
tion see  p.  91.) 

Mercy-seat,  the 145 

Meribah    ("  strife "),    Moses    and 

Aaron  sin  there 104,225 

Merodach-baladan,  king  of  Baby- 
lon, sends  to  Hezekiah 512 

Merom,  the  waters  of 245,  260 

Meschech,   father  of  Muscovites, 

descendant  of  Japheth 14 

Meshach,  given  as   a  hostage  to 

Nebuchadnezzar 537 

/Hebrew  Mishael),  educated  at 

Babylon 621 

cast  into  the  fiery  furnace 623 

Mesopotamia,  Historv  and  Geog- 
raphy of '. Int.  39 

Messiah,   prophecies  and   typical 

intimations  of 643  et  seq. 

Methusael,  son  of  Mehujael,  de- 
scendant of  Cain 8 

Methuselah,  son  of  Enoch,  oldest 

of  all  men 9 

Micah,  a  native  of  Mount  Eph- 

raim  ;  idolatry  of. 272 

Micah,  the  prophet,  prophesies....  485 

his  prophecy 636 

Micaiah,  prophesies 399 

sent  for  by  Ahab 415 

Michai,  Saul's  daughter,  marries 

David 31i 

assists  David's  fl'ight 312 

given  toPhalti 318 


366 


INDEX. 


Sect. 

Michal  restored  to  David 324 

reproves  hiia 328 

Michmash 307 

Midian,  Moses  flees  thither 83 

son  of  Abraham  and  Keturali, 

progenitor  of  Midianites 39 

Midianites,  the,  descended  from 

Midian 39 

defeated  by  the  Israelites 232 

harass  the  Israelites 279 

defeated  by  Gideon 281 

Milcah,  daughter  of  Haran,  mar- 
ries Nahor 19 

grandmother  of  Rebekah 38 

Minnith 291 

Miriam,  sister  of  Moses 101 

sedition ;    smitten    with    lep- 
rosy   220 

her  death 225 

Miscellaneous  precepts 131 

Mishael,  Hebr.  nameof  Meshach...  621 

Mitre,  the 163 

Mizpeh,  Samuel  assembles  Israel 

at 302 

Mizraim,  father  of  the  Egyptians, 

descendant  of  Ham' 15 

Moab,  his  birth 31 

Moabites,  history  of Int.  20 

descended  from  Moab 31 

10,000  slain  by  Ehud 276 

defeated  by  Saul 308 

by  David 319 

subject  to  Solomon 352 

defeated  by  Jehoshaphat 422 

Molech,  worshipped  by  Solomon...  362 

by  Abaz 488 

Moon,  created 1 

Morasthi,  Micah  born  there 636 

Mordecai,  carried  to  Babylon  by 

Nebuchadnezzar 543 

honored .593 

Moreh,  Abram  goes  there..  21  and  note 
Moriah,  Mount,  Abraham  tempt- 
ed to  offer  Isaac  there 36 

Jerusalem  built  on  it 326,  note 

temple  built  on  it 359 

Moses  ("  saved  from  water"),  born.    82 

writer  of  Pentateuch Tnt.55 

flight  to  Midian  ;  marries  Zip- 

porah 83 

called  at  Horeb 84 

returns  to  Egypt ;  circumcises 

his  son 85 

stands  before  Pharaoh 86 

leads  Israelites  out  of  Egypt..    98 

divides  the  Red  Sea 101 

heals  water  at  Marah 102 

commands  Joshua  to  attack 

the  Araalekites 105 

visited  by  Jethro 106 

ascends  Mount  Sinai 109 

reprimands  Aaron  for  idola- 
try   110 

reascends  Mount  Sinai Ill 

consecrates    Aaron    and    his 
sons 166 


Sect. 

Moses,  institutes  festivals 187 

numbers  the  twelve  tribes 216 

appoints  seventy  elders  to  as- 
sist in  governing 219 

sends  out  the  twelve  spies 221 

his  sin  at  Meribah 225 

puts  the  sacerdotal  garments 

on  Eleazar 226 

sets  up  the  brazen  serpent 228 

reviews  the  people  in  plains 

of  Moab 233 

appoints  Joshua  his    succes- 
sor   235,  239 

appoints  the  cities  of  refuge...  236 

his  last  acts  and  death 239 

review  of  his  life  and  charac- 
ter   240 

Mountains  of  Canaan 245 

Murder,  law  against 116 

Muscovites,  descended  from  Ja- 

phetli 14 

Mycale,  battle  of. 582 

N. 

Naamah,  daughter  of  Laraech  and 

Zillah 8 

Naaman,  his  leprosy  cured  by  Eli- 

sha 430 

Nabal,  husband  of  Abigail,  death 

of 318 

Nabonad,  name  given  to  Belshaz- 

zar  by  Josephus 565 

Nabopolassar,  an  Assyrian  gene- 
ral, king  of  Chaldees,  and 
father  of  Nebuchadnezzar...  535 

Naboth,  his  vineyard  coveted  by 

Ahab;  his  death 414 

Nadab,  son  of  Aaron,  with  Abihu 

attends  Moses  in  the  mount.  109 

Nadab  and  Abihu,  their  sin 169 

Nadab,  king  of  Israel,  son  of  Je- 
roboam ;  duration  of  reign..  382 
his    idolatry;    slain    by    Ba- 
asha - 383 

Nahash,  king  of  the  Ammonites, 

defeated  by  Saul 306 

death  of. 331 

Nahor,  his  descent  and  age 18 

marries  Milcah 19 

grandfather  of  Rebekah 38 

Nahum,  the  prophet 637 

Naioth,  Samuel  takes  David  thith- 
er   312  and  note 

Naomi,  mother-in-law  of  Ruth 305 

Naphtali,  son  of  Bilhah,  born 50 

Jacob's    prophecy  respecting 

him 72 

territory  of  his  tribe 263 

Nathan,  a  prophet,  forbids  David 

to  build  a  temple 328 

reproves  him  for  his  sin 332 

proclaims  Solomon  king 349 

Nazaritisra 201 

Nebat,  father  of  Jeroboam 371 

Neho,  Mount 245,  note 


INDEX. 


367 


Sect. 

Nebuchadnezzar,  son  of  Nabopo- 

lassar 535 

defeats  Pbaraoh-Necho 536 

takes  Jerusalem,  etc 537 

besieges    Jerusalem,    carries 
captive  Ezekiel  and  Morde- 

cai 543 

slays  the  sons  and  puts  out 

the  eyes  of  Zedekiah 550 

erects  a  golden  image 558 

conquers  Tyre,  etc 559 

beautifies  Babylon 560 

his  insanity 561 

his  restoration  and  death..  624, 561 

Nebuchadonosor 527 

Nebuzaradan  sacks  Jerusalem 251 

Necho.    See  Pharaoh. 
Nehemiah,  book  of,  Analysis  of..p.  253 
appointed  governor  of  Judsea.  588 
rebuilds  the  walls,  etc.  of  Je- 
rusalem   589 

his  first  administration 590 

second , 591 

Neriglissor,   son-in-law    of   Neb- 
uchadnezzar   563 

"Netbaneel,  a  son  of  Jesse 309 

Nethinim,  the 165 

origin  of. 258 

New  moon,  festival  of 313  and  note 

Nimrod,  son  of  Cush 17 

founds  the  kingdom  of  Babel.  554 

Nimshi,  father  of  Jehu 444 

Nineveh,  or  Nimroud 486,  note 

Sennacherib  flies  to 510 

taken  by  Cyaxares  and  Nabo- 

polassar... 535 

Jonah  sent  by  God  to 635 

Nisroch,  Sennacherib  slain  in  the 

temple  of 510  and  note 

Nitocris,  mother  of  Belshazzar 560 

completes    unfinished    works 

of  Nebuchadnezzar 565 

Noah,  son  of  Lamech,  born 9 

builds  the  ark 10 

leaves  the  ark  and  sacrifices 

to  Jehovah 11 

prophecies     concerning     his 

sons 12 

his  posterity 13-16 

Nob,  Saul  massacres  the  priests  at.  315 

Numbers,  book  of,  Analysis  of.. .p.  120 

typical  intimations  in 238 

O. 

Obadiah,     governor     of    Ahab's 

house,  feeds  the  prophets...  405 

meets  Elijah 406 

Obadiah,  the  prophet 634 

Obed,  son  of  Ruth,  father  of  Jesse.  305 

Obed  the  prophet 490 

Obed-edom,  David  leaves  the  ark 

in  his  house 328 

Oblations 167 

first,  ordinary 178 

second,  free 179 


Sect. 

Oblations,  third,  prescribed 180 

See  Drink-Offerings 185 

Oded,  the  prophet,  remonstrates 

with  Pekah 492 

Off'erings,  first,  burnt- 169 

second,  peace- 170 

third,  sin- 171-175 

fourth,  trespass- 176 

drink- 185 

Og,  king  of  Bashan,  defeated  by 

Israelites 229  and  note 

Old  Testament,  world  of. Int.  1 

Critical  History  of, p.  25 

Olives,  Mount  of,  Solomon  erects 

high  places  on 362 

Omri,    king    of    Israel,    besieges 

Zimri 395 

his  party  prevails  over  that 

of  Tibni 396 

builds  Samaria;  death  of. 397 

On,  or  Heliopolis 66,  note 

Onan,  son  of  Judah  and  the  Ca- 

naanite 62 

Ophir 357,  419 

Ophrah,  in  Manasseh 280 

Oreb,  prince  of  the   Midianites; 

slain  by  Ephraimites 281 

Orpah,  daughter-in-law  of  Naomi.  305 
Othniel,    takes     Debir;    marries 

Achsah 264 

judgeship;  delivers  the  people.  275 
Ozem,  a  son  of  Jesse 309 

P. 

Palestine,  Geography  of,  and  His- 
tory at  different  periods. ../rt/.  23 

description  of 245 

early  inhabitants  of 246 

the  highway  between  Egypt 

and  the  Asiatic  empires 251 

Palmyra,  or  Tadmor,  built  by  Sol- 
omon   357 

Paran,  wilderness  of. 216 

David  goes  there 318 

Parents,  law  against  disobedience 

to 113 

Passover,  instituted 97 

described 188 

a  type  of  the  Messiah 196 

kept  by  Joshua 255 

by  Hezeklah 504 

Pekah,  king  of  Israel,  assassinates 

Pekahiah 489 

son  of  Remaliah  ;  duration  of 

reign 490 

allies  with  Rezin  invades  Ju- 
dah   491 

second  invasion 492 

slain  byHoshea 495 

Pekahiah,    king    of    Israel,    son 
of  Menahem;    duration    of 

reign  ;  his  death 489 

Peleg,  son  of  Eber 18 

Pelethites,  follow  David 338 

march  against  Amasa 345 


368 


INDEX. 


Sect. 

Peniel  ("  face  of  God  "),  name  giv- 
en by  Jacob 54 

Peninnah,  wife  of  Elkanah 298 

Pentateuch Int.  ,55 

Pentecost,  feast  of. 189 

a  type  of  the  Messiah 196 

Peres 627  and  note 

Perizzites,  the,  their  position  in 

Canaan 23 

subdued  by  Joshua 261 

Persia,  Geography   and    History 

of /wif.SO 

Pethor,  in  Mesopotamia 230 

Pethuel,  father  of  Joel 6.32 

Petra,  taken  by  Pompey 61 

Phalti,  son  of  Laish,  Michal  given 

to 318 

Pharaoh,  different  dynasties  of. ..Int.  4 

deceived  by  Abram -. 21 

his  dreams  interpreted  by  Jo- 
seph      64 

commands  male  infants  of 
Hebrews  to  be  destroyed...    81 

his  death 83 

to  whom  Moses  is  sent 83 

pursues  the  Hebrews 101 

Pharaoli-Hophra.    See  Apries. 

Pharaoh-Necho,  invasion  of 528 

Pharez,  son  of  Judah  and  Tamar.    62 
Pharisees,  the,  become  a  political 

faction Con.  46 

a  sect  of  the  Jews Con.  94 

their  tenets.... Con.  95 

practices Con.  96 

Phasael,  son  of  Antipater,  made 

governor  of  Jerusalem. ..Con.  67 
made    a    tetrarch    of    Pales- 
tine  Con.  70 

commits  suicide Con.  71 

Pheroras,  son  of  Antipater Con.  67 

plots  against  Herod ;  his  death, 

Cbra.  86 

Philip Con.29, 

a  son  of  Herod  the  Great... Con.  90 
Philistia,  Geography  and  History 

of. 7ni!.  36,  37 

Philistines,  their  origin {2l^i^mte 

attack  the  southern  Jewish 
tribes ;  repulsed  by  Sham- 
gar 277 

forty  years'  oppression  of 295 

defeated  by  Samson 296 

defeat  Israelites  at  Ebenezer.  301 

defeated  by  Saul 307 

by  David 310 

defeat  Saul 321 

defeated  by  David 327-329 

Davids  last  expedition  against 

them 347 

subject  to  Solomon 352 

tributary  to  Jehoshaphat 408 

smitten  by  Hezekiah 606 

Phinehas,  son  of  Eleazar,  slays 

Zimri  and  Cozbi 281 

Phinehas,son  of  Eli,  misconduct  of  299 


Sect. 

Phinehas,  son  of  Eli,  death  of 301 

Phoenicia,  Geographv  and    His- 
tory of .'. Int.  11,  12 

Phoenicians,  descended  from  Ham.    15 

account  of 248 

Phut,   father  of  Libyans,  son  of 

Ham 15 

Pihahiroth,  Israelites  encamp  at..  100 
Moses    divides   the   Red   Sea 

at 101 

Piram,  king  of  Jarmuth,  slain  by 

Joshua '.  259 

Pisgah,  Moses  views  Land  of  Prom- 
ise from 239 

Pison,  a  river  of  Eden 4 

Pithom,  a  treasure-city,  built  by 

Israelites 81 

Plagues,  the  ten 87-98 

individual    design    and    cha- 
racter of 98,  note 

Platsea,  battle  of. 582 

Pledges,  law  respecting 127 

Poetical  books,  account  of. Int.  57 

PoUio,  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrim, 

Con.  74 
Pompey,  reduces  Ccele-Syria.... Co7i.  60 

takes  Jerusalem , Con.  61 

death  of Cm.  66 

Potiphar,    captain    of   Pharaoh's 

guard,  Joseph  sold  to 63 

Potipherah,  priest  of  On,  father- 
in-law  of  Joseph 66 

Prayer  of  Mauasses 114 

Priests,  the 153 

classification  of. 158 

their  duties  and  requirements ; 
family  of  Aaron  appointed..  154 

dress 155 

sources  of  their  livelihood 156 

divided      into      twenty -four 

courses  by  David .....156,  note 

four     courses     return    from 

Babylon 581 

Prophets,  their  chronological  or- 
der  p.  266 

Prophetical  books,  account  of. ..Int.  58 
Proverbs,  the  book  of,  authorship 

and  scope 608 

Psalms,  the  book  of,  authorship...  604 

subjects 605 

classification 600 

occurrence  of  word  Selah  in...  607 
Psammetichus,  father  of  Pharaoh- 
Necho  528 

Psammis,  sou  of  Pharaoh-Necho..  547 
Ptolemies,  government  under... CoTi.  10 
Ptolemy  I.,  Lagus,  takes  Jerusa- 
lem  Con.  8 

his  provinces Con.  9 

II.,     Philadelphus ;      Eleazar 

sends  70  elders  to Con.  12 

III.,  Euergetes Con.  13 

IV.,    Philopator,    enters    the 

Holy  of  Holies Qm.  13 

v.,  Epiphanes Con.  14 

Puah,  a  Hebrew  midwife 81 


INDEX. 


Pul,    king    of    Assyria,    invades 

Israel 486,  554 

PuriScations,  first,  as  a  religious 

ceremonial 205 

second,  from  personal  unclean- 

ness 206 

third,  from  leprosy 207-213 

Purim,  feast  of. 193 

origin  of 594 

R. 

Kaamses,  a  treasure-city,  built  by 

Israelites 81 

Eabbah,  Joab  sent  by  David  to  be- 
siege   331 

taken  by  David 333 

Kabshakeh,  sent  by  Sennacherib 

to  Hezekiah 509 

Rachel,  daughter  of  Laban,  mar- 
ries Jacob 49 

her  children 50 

steals  Laban's  images 52 

death  and  burial  of. 58 

Raddai,  a  son  of  Jesse 309 

Eagaba Con.  54 

Raguel.    See  Jethro. 

Eahab,    hides    the    spies;    their 

promise  to  her 253 

with  her  family,  saved 256 

Ramah,  David  goes  tliere 312 

fortified 389,  390 

Rameses,  Israelites  leave 100 

Ramoth-gilead,  a  city  of  refuge...  236 

Ahab  defeated  there 415 

Rebekah,    daughter   of  Bethuel, 

marries  Isaac 38 

assists  the  deception  of  Jacob.    46 
Esau's  threat  reported  to  her..    47 

buried  at  Machphelah 37 

Rechab,  a  captain  and  murderer 
of    Ishbosheth ;     slain    by 

David 325 

father  of  Jehonadab 445 

Recliabites,  the 201  and  note,  534 

Red  Sea,  passage  of 101 

Refuge,  cities  of,  law  respecting...  116 

appointed  by  Moses 236 

Rehoboam,  king  of  Judah,  son  of 
Solomon  and  Naamah  ;  ten 

tribes  revolt  from  him 364 

duration  of  reign 370 

assembles  an  army  to  recover 

Israel 372 

rebuked  by  Shemaiah 375 

Rephairas,  the,  their  position  in 

Canaan 23 

Rephidim,  journey  of  Israelites  to.  104 

Reu,  son  of  Peleg 18 

Reuben,  eldest  son  of  Leah,  born.    50 

his  incest  with  Bilhah 59 

opposes  the  killing  of  Joseph,    61 
offers  his  sons  a  security  for 

Benjamin's  life 68 

Jacob's    prophecy   respecting 
him 72 


Sect. 
Reuben,  the  territory  of  his  tribe, 

235,  263 
Reuel.    See  Jethro. 
Rezin,  allies  with  Pekah ;  invades 

Judah 491 

second  invasion  of 492 

slain  by  Ahaz 493  and  note 

Rezon,  son  of  Eliadah  ;  founds  Da- 
mascus   362 

Rezon,  or  Hezion 493,  note 

Riblah,  Jehoahaz    put  in  bands 

there 530 

Rimmon,  rock,  Benjamites  abide 

there 274 

Rivers  of  Canaan 245 

Rizpah,  concubine  of  Saul 324 

her  sons  given  to  Gibeonites..  346 

Ruth,  book  of 304,  305 

story  of 305 

S. 

Sabseans 515 

Sabbath  instituted 4,  note 

Sabbatical  year,  the 194 

Sacrifices 167-177 

See  Offerings  and  Oblations. 

classified 167 

selection  of  victims 168 

their  typical  character 177 

national 186 

Sadducees,  become  a  political  fac- 
tion  Con.  46 

their  origin Con.  97 

tenets Con.  98 

Sais 528 

Salah,  son  of  Arphaxad 18 

Salamis,  battle  of. 582 

Sale,  law  of 126 

Salome,  queen  of  Aristobulus  I. 

{see  Alexandra).'. Con.  48 

Salt,  valley  of,    18,000    Edomites 

slain  in 329 

Edomites    conquered    in,    by 

Amaziah 464 

Samaria,  built  by  Omri 396 

besieged  by  Benhadad  II 433 

taken  by  Shalraaneser 505 

colonization  of 507 

Samaritans,  who  so  called 507 

hinder  building  of  teraple..575, 589 

sect  of Con.  102 

Samias,  a  member  of  the  Sanhe- 
drim   Con.  67 

counsels  surrender  of  the  city. 

Con.  74 

Samson,  judgeship  of 295 

born;  life  and  exploits  of 296 

capture  and  death 297 

Samuel,  son  of  Elkanah  and  Han- 
nah   298 

prophecy  of 300 

calls  on  the  people  to  put  away 

idolatry 302 

his  sons  ;  anoints  Saul  king...  303 
rebukes  Saul  for  disobedience.  307 


370 


INDEX. 


Sect. 

Samuel,  slays  Agag 308 

anoints' David  king 309 

death  of 318 

appears  after  death  to  Saul....  320 

books  of,  Analysis  of p.  164 

Sanballat,  hinders  "building  of  the 

temple 589 

governor  of  Samaria Con.  3 

Sanhedrim,  its  supposed  origin, 

138,  219 

defied  by  Herod Con.  67 

massacred  by  Herod Con.  74 

Saosduchinus 527 

Sarai,  daughter  of  Haran,  marries 

Abram 19 

deals  hardly  with  Hagar 27 

a  son  promised  to  her 28 

her  name  changed  to  Sarah...    29 

laughs  at  the  promise 30 

death  of 37 

Raul,  son  of  Kish,  anointed  king..  303 

defeats  Ammonites 306 

his  disobedience ;  defeats  Phil- 
istines   307 

reproved  by  Samuel 308 

endeavors  to  kill  David 311 

sends  messengers  after  David.  312 
massacres  the  priests  of  Nob..  315 
the  skirt  of  his  robe  cut  off  by 

David 317 

•     his  spear  and  cruse  of  water 

carried  away  by  David 319 

consults  witclTof  Eiidor 320 

defeat  and  suicide  of. 321 

character  of 322 

Scape-goat,  the 192 

Scaurus,  a  general  of  Pompey..Co?i.  60 

Scribes,  the Con.  101 

Scythopolis 321 

Sects,  Jewish Con.  93 

Segub,  son  of  Hiel 256,  418 

Seir 596 

Selah 607 

Seleucus,  a  general  of  Alexander ; 

his  provinces Con.  9 

Seleucus  Philopator,  succeeds   to 

the  throne  of  Syria Con.  15 

Seminisemissio, purification  from.  206 

Serairamis 560 

Sennacherib,    succeeds     to     the 
throne;   Hezekiah   submits 

to 508 

takes  Ashdod  ;  invades  Judah.  509 
destruction  of  his  army. ...510,  554 

Septuagint Int.  61 

completed 12 

Seraiah,  a  high  priest 572 

Serpent,  the,  tempts  Eve 5 

the  brazen,  set  up  by  Moses...  229 
destroyed  by  Heze- 
kiah   502 

Serpents,  the  fiery 228 

Serug,  father  of  Nahor 18 

Servitudes,  the 275-298 

Seth,  son  of  Adam 9 

Sethon 508,  note 


Sect. 
Seventy,  the  tribunal  of,  instituted 

by  Moses 138 

appointed 219 

Shadrach,  given  as  a  hostage  to 

Nebuchadnezzar 537 

Shadrach     (Hebrew     Hananiah), 

educated  at  Babylon 621 

cast  into  the  fiery  furnace 623 

Shallum,  assassinates  Zechariah...  479 

duration  of  reign 482 

a  name  of  Jehoahaz 529 

Shalmaneser,  makes  Hoshea  trib- 
utary   500 

besieges  Samaria 505,  554 

Shamgar,  judgeship  of. 277 

Shammah,  son  of  Jesse 309 

Sharon,  a  canton  of  Palestine 612 

Sheba,  revolt  of. 344 

death  of. 345 

Sheba,  qneen  of,  visits  Solomon....  361 
Shechern,  Jacob  resides  at;  son  of 

Hamor 56 

a  city  of  refuge 236 

laws  set  up  at,  on  Mount  Ebal.  239 

capital  of  Israel 369 

See  283,  note 
Shechemites,     circumcised,    and 

slaughter  of. 56 

Shechinah,  the 147 

Shelah,  son  of  Judah  and  the  Ca- 

naanite 62 

Shelomith,  the  son  of,  blasphemes 

and  is  stoned 113 

Shem,  son  of  Noah 12 

his  posterity 16 

Shen 302 

Shemaiah,  the  prophet 370 

forbids    Eehoboam    to    fight 

against  Israel 372 

Shemaiah,   a  false  prophet;    his 

punishmenj; 545 

Shepherds,  an  abomination  to  the 

Egyptians 69 

Sheshai,  son  of  Anak 264 

Sheshbazzar.    (See  Zerubbabel).  572 

Shew-bred,  the  table 142 

David     obtains    some     from 

Ahimelech 314 

Shibboleth,  Ephraimites  made  to 

pronounce 291 

Shiloh,  the  tabernacle  set  up  there.  262 
daughters  of,  carried  off  by 

Benjaniites 274 

Shimei,  curses  David 338 

David  forgives  him 343 

slain  by  Benaiah 355 

Shinar 24 

Shiphrah,  a  Hebrew  midwife 81 

Shishak,  king  of  Egypt,  invades 

Judah 375 

Shittim,  Israelites  led  to,  bv  Josh- 
ua  .'. 253 

Shobach,  commander-in-chief  of 

Hadadezer 331 

Shobi,  son  of  Nahash,  succors  Da- 
vid   341 


INDEX. 


37i 


Sect. 

Shuah,  a  Canaanite 62 

Shunammite,  the,  her  son  restored 

by  Elisha 437 

Shur,  wilderness  of;  Hagar  goes 

thither 27 

Israelites  enter 102 

Sicarii,  the,  sect  of. Con.  102 

Sichem,  Abram    passes  through, 

21  and  note 

Siddini,  vale  of. 24 

Sidonians,  the,  war  with 261 

Sihon,  king  of  the  Araorites,  de- 
feated by  Israelites 229 

wrests    territory    from    Am- 
monites   290 

Siloam,  pool  of. 340 

Simeon,  son  of  Leah,  born 50 

his  cruelty  to  Shechemites 56 

kept  as  a  pledge  by  Joseph 68 

Jacob's  prophecy  respecting 

him 72 

territory  of  his  tribe 263 

tribe  of,  defeats  Adonibezek...  270 
Simon  the  Just,  high  priest,  death 

of. Con.  10 

See  Maccab.eus. 
Sin,  wilderness  of,  Israelites  enter  102 

Sinai.    (5ee  Horec) 84 

the  Jews  encamp  before  it 107 

Sisera,  general  of  Jabiu,  slain  by 

Jael 278 

Slavery,  law  respecting 182 

Slaves,' fugitive,  law  respecting 125 

Smerdis  Magus.  See  Artaxerxes. 

Sodom,  Lot  dwells  there 22 

Abraham  intercedes  for  it 30 

destruction  of 31 

Soemus,  a    friend  of  Herod   the 

Great Cbn.  80 

Solomon,  sou  of  Bathsheba,  born.  330 

proclaimed  king 349 

extent  of  his  kingdom 352 

ascends  the  throne;  executes 

Adonijah  and  Joab 354 

puts  Shimei  to  death 355 

marries  Pharaoh's  daughter..  356 

commerce  of. 357 

builds  the  temple 358 

his  idolatry 362 

his  death  and  character 363 

a  writer  of  the  Psalms 604 

the  Proverbs 608 

Ecclesiastes 609 

Song  of. 611 

Wisdom  of. Con.  108 

Song  of  the  Three  Children... Cora.  Ill 

Sorek,  valley  of. 297 

Spies,  twelve,  sent  into  Canaan....  221 

two,  sent  to  Jericho 253 

Stars,  created , 1 

Stealing,  law  against 123 

Succoih  ("booths") 100,  no<e 

Sun,  created. 1 

Susanna,  History  of Om.  112 

Syria,  Geographv  and  Historv  of. 

Int.  9,  10 


Sect. 

Syria,  History  of 493,  note 

(See  pp.  166-169,  note.) 
Syrians  defeated  by  David 331 

T. 

Taberah  ("a  burning")  march  of 

Israelites  to 217 

Tabernacle,  the,  external  descrip- 
tion   139 

court  of 148 

completion  of 151 

set  up  in  Shiloh 263 

Tabernacles,  feast  of. 190 

a  type  of  the 

Messiah 196 

kept  by  Ezra 585 

Tabor,  mountain  of  Canaan 245 

Tabrimon,  father  of  Benhadad  I., 

493, 7iote 
Tadmor,  or  Palmyra,  built  by  Sol- 
omon   357 

Tamar,  wife  of  Ur,  Judah's  incest 

with 62 

daughter  of  David;  abused  by 

Amnon 334 

Tatnai,  a  Persian  governor 578 

TekeJ 627 

Tekoah,  Jehoshaphat    obtains    a 

victory  there 422 

Temple,  the,  built  by  Solomon 358 

description  of 359 

dedication  of. 360 

the  second 360,  note 

Herod's 360,  note. 

Ten  tribes,  revolt  of 364 

Terah,  father  of  Abram,  his  de- 
scent     19 

leaves  Ur;  his  death 20 

Tarshish 357,419 

Thebez,  Abimelech  slain  in  be- 
sieging   285 

Thermopylffi,  battle  of. 582 

Thracians,    descended    from    Ja- 

pheth 14 

Thummim 162 

Tibarenians,  descended  from  Ja- 

pheth 14 

Tibni,  faction  of;  death  of 396 

Tidal,  king  of  nations 24 

Tiglath-pileser,  Ahaz  applies  to; 

slays  Rezin 493,554 

Timnath 62,296 

Timnath-serah  given  to  Josluia....  264 
Tiras,  father  of  tlie  Thraciaus,  de- 
scendant of  Japheth 14 

Tirhakah,  king  of  Ethiopia 510 

Tirzah,  burnt  by  Zimri 395 

Tithes 183 

Tob,  land  of 289 

Tobiah   hinders   building  of  the 

temple 589 

Tobit,  book  of Con.  105 

Toi,  father  of  Joram,  king  of  Ha- 

math 329 

Tola,  a  judge 286 


372 


INDEX. 


Sect.  I 

Trespass,  law  of 124 

Tribes,  con Qection  with  each  oth- 
er   137 

Trumpets,  feast  of. 191 

Tryphon,  treachery  of. Con.  37 

Tubal-Cain,  sou   of  Laraech  and 

Zillah 8 

Type,  a  scriptural  meaning  of 78 

Tyre,  kings  of Int.  12 

U. 

Uncleanness,  purification  from....  206 

Upharsin 627,  note 

Ur,  Abram  born  there 20 

Uriah,  husband  of  Bathsheba,  his 

death 332 

Urijah,  a    prophet,  slain  by  Je- 

hoiakim 532 

Urim 162 

Uz,  land  of. 596 

Uzzah,  slain  for  touching  the  ark..  328 
Uzziah,  or  Azariah,  king  of  Ju- 

dah ;  duration  of  reign 470 

influence  of  Zechariah  over 

him 472 

smitten  with  leprosy 475 

V. 

Vashti,  queen  of  Ahasuerus,  di- 
vorced   .593 

Vow,  Jephthah's 291,  note 

Vows,  nature  of 197 

classification 199 

I.  of  dedication 200 

II.  of  self-interdiction    and 
Kazaritism 201 

Vulgate,  the Int.  62 

"W. 

Wars  of  the  Lord,  book  of. 237 

Wisdom  of  Solomon Con.  108 

Witness,  false,  law  respecting 129 

-World,  the,  of  Old  Testament 1 


Xerxes,  succeeds  Darius 582 

See  Table p.  257 

Y. 

Yarmuk,  a  river  of  Palestine 245 

Z. 

Zabad,  expedition  of  the  sons  of, 

81,  note 

Zabianism,  Job  alludes  to 595 

Zadok,  the  priest,  bears  the  ark 
after  David  ;  ordered  to  car- 
ry it  back 338 

ordered  by  David  to  proclaim 
Solomon  king 349 


Sect. 
Zalmunnah,  a  king  of  the  Midian- 

ites,  slain  by  Gideon 281 

Zarrah,  son  of  Judah  and  Tamar..    62 

Zared,  a  river 228 

Zarephath,  a  Phoenician  city 403 

Zealots,  the Con.  10? 

Zebah,  a  king  of  the  Midianites, 

slain  by  Gideon 281 

Zebul,  governor  of  Shechem 285 

Zebulon,  son  of  Leah,  born 50 

Jacob's    prophecy  respecting 

him 72 

the  territory  of  his  tribe 263 

Zechariah,  son  of  Jehoiada,  stoned 

by  Joash 454 

Zechariah,  king  of  Israel,  son  of 
Jeroboam  II.;  duration  of 
reign  ;  assassinated  by  Shal- 

lum 479 

Zechariah  the  prophet,  sou  of  Ber- 

echiah 641 

Zedekiah,  king  of  Judah,  son  of 

Josiah  ;  duration  of  reign...  544 
allies  with  Pharaoh-Hophra...  547 

applies  to  Jeremiah 549 

his  eyes  put  out  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar ;  carried  to  Bab- 
ylon ;  death,  and  contradic- 
tory prophecies  concerning 

him 550 

Zeeb,   prince  of  the  Midianites, 

slain  by  Ephraimites 281 

Zelophehad,  daughters  of. 128 

Zemaraim,  a  mountain  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Ephraim 379 

Zephaniah,  the  prophet 518 

his  prophecies 639 

Zerah,  the  Ethiopian,  defeated  by 

Asa 387 

Zerubbabel,  grandson  of  Jehoia- 
chin,  appointed  tirshatha  of 

Judaea 572 

refuses  assistance  from  Sa- 
maritans   in    the  building 

the  temple. 575 

Zeruiah,  sister  of  David.. Z2Q,noi6 

mother  of  Joab 354 

Ziba,  David  places  Mephibosheth 

under  his  care 330 

falsely  accuses  Mephibosheth 

to  David 334 

Mephibosheth    complains    of 

his  treachery 343 

Ziklag,  given  to  David  by  Achish.  319 

Zillah,  a  wife  of  Lamech 8 

Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid 49 

her  sons 50 

Zimri,  slain  by  Phinehas 231 

Zimri,  king  of  Israel,  assassinates 

Elah 393 

duration  of  reign 394 

besieged  by  Oniri ;  his  death..  395 

Zion,  taken  by  David 326 

Ziph,  wilderness  of,  David  goes 

there 316 

his  forbearance  at 319 


INDEX. 


373 


Sect. 
Zipporah,    daughter    of    Jethro, 

marries  Moses 83 

circumcises  her  son 85 

brought  to  Moses  by  Jethro...  106 
Zobah,  kings  of,  defeated  by  Saul. 

308,  note 

32 


Sect. 

Zobah,  Invaded  by  David. 329 

Zophar    the    Naamathite,    Job's 

friend 599 

Zopyrus,  retakes  the  city  of  Baby- 
lon   582 


THE    EXD. 


TESTIMONIAJLS. 


"  This  is  not  a  commonplace  book.  It  is  tlie  result  of  labor 
and  learning.  It  is  fitted  to  render  much  help  to  the  student 
in  his  endeavor  to  become  acquainted  with  the  contents  of 
the  Bible  analytically  and  chronologically,  and  by  means  of 
a  judicious  classification  of  them It  presents  an  excel- 
lent summary  of  matters  adapted  to  facilitate  an  intelligent 
study  of  the  sacred  yolnme J' -British  Quarterly  Review. 

"This  Analysis  cannot  fail  to  be  useful  to  a  large  class  of 
students.  Numerous  tables,  summaries  of  events,  analyses 
of  law  systems,  and  other  important  matters,  are  appended." 
— AthencBum. 

"Of  the  first  edition  of  this  work  we  had  the  pleasure  of 

speaking  in  terms  of  hearty  praise;  and  if  then  it  claimed 

acceptance  as  an  intelligently-conceived  and  well-executed 

hand-book  to  the  study  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  now  deserves 

more  specific  and  emphatic  commendation,  so  thoroughly  has 

the  author  perfected  what  at  first  he  achieved  so  happily. 

Amongst  the  chief  additions  are  the  following:  An  account 

of  Canaan  prior  to  its  conquest  by  the  Israelites;  synchron- 

istical  tables  of  the  history  of  Israel  and  Judah ;  a  review  of 

the  history  of  these  divided  monarchies,  prefacing  a  thorough 

rearrangement  of  this  portion  of  the  general  history,  by  which 

greater  clearness  is  attained  than  we  ever  found  in  any  similar 

work ;  and  a  new  connection  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 

including  the  history  of  the  Jews  from  the  governorship  of 

Nehemiah  to  the  birth  of  our  Lord,  which  is  marked  by  many 


TESTIMONIALS. 

great  improvements  and  is  admirable  for  lucidity  and  com- 
pleteness. Another  feature  of  the  work  worthy  of  special 
mention  is  the  excellent  analysis  of  the  laws  of  Moses. 

"  We  know  of  no  manual  for  the  student  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment so  perfect  in  method,  so  comprehensive  in  its  contents, 
so  thorough  in  its  information,  and  so  reliable  in  its  treatment 
of  tlie  most  intricate  portions  of  Jewish  history,  as  is  this  vol- 
ume. Clear  intelligence,  historical  learning,  and  great  care- 
fulness of  labor  are  stamped  on  every  page.  To  students 
preparing  for  theological  examinations,  to  teachers  under 
training  in  normal  schools,  and  to  ministers  conducting  Bible- 
classes  of  young  men,  we  can  give  it  our  best  word,  assured 
that  they  will  find  it  of  high  value." — Nonconformist. 

"  The  volume  before  us  is  well  described  by  its  title.  It  is 
very  simple  in  its  plan,  but,  simple  as  the  plan  seems,  its 
execution  must  have  been  a  work  of  time  and  labor,  and  the 
author  has  lost  sight  of  nothing  that  might  conduce  to  the 
object  in  view.  The  summary  and  analysis  of  the  text, 
which  is  of  itself  a  work  of  no  small  difficulty,  is  cleverly 
done,  especially  in  the  Mosaic  laws  and  ordinances ;  and  the 
author  generally  endeavors  to  explain  or  illustrate  any  ob- 
scure points  in  Jewish  history — '  particularly,'  as  he  frankly 
remarks,  '  those  portions  which  are  most  frequently  the  sub- 
jects of  college  examinations.' " — Br.  Kiito's  Journal  of  Sa- 
cred Literature. 


